Do you hate paying your energy bill every month? Electric bills can get astronomically high as your home works to maintain a livable temperature, provide light, and allow every amenity people are accustomed to these days. Oftentimes, home efficiency can be overlooked.
As home contractors and homeowners ourselves, our American Home Contractors team believes in putting your home to work for your benefit, and one of the best ways to do this is by increasing home efficiency with GAF solar roofing. All solar roofing can prove beneficial to your lifestyle and the environment, but as an industry-leading brand, GAF DecoTech® solar roofing brings immense benefits to your home, which can have you dreading your electric bill less and loving your home more.
1. Environmental Friendliness
Perhaps the most well-known benefit of solar roof installations is their positive impact on the environment, utilizing the ever-present energy of the sun to power a home rather than pulling electricity from the grid, which can be the result of fossil fuels or other forms of energy. GAF roofing is no different. It provides the same home efficiency while utilizing a clean energy source.
2. Sustainability
Solar energy is a renewable resource. As we mentioned, fossil fuels are often utilized in the production of energy. And fossil fuels are exhaustible. However, the solar energy from the sun is continuous, and channeling that energy is a sustainable way to increase home efficiency.
3. Direct to Deck
In the past, solar panels were often associated with bulky eyesores that resided atop your roof. But more modern panels have become less of an eyesore and can even flow seamlessly with the look of your home. GAF DecoTech panels are low profile, blending seamlessly with your roof due to their direct-to-deck installation. They are not rack-mounted, allowing them to lie flat.
4. Energy Savings
Garnering the energy you utilize in your home from the sun will lessen the amount of energy you pull from the electric grid. This can decrease your energy bill, saving you money. And if your solar roof takes in more energy than it uses, you’ll reap the benefits of net metering. Rather than pulling from the grid, your home will feed the grid with energy. That energy is stored on the grid, and you receive credits toward your energy bill to create even more savings.
5. Tax Incentives
Outside of the home benefits and environmental benefits, adding a GAF solar roof can have a potentially positive effect on your taxes. You will want to speak with your tax representative for your specific circumstances, but we also recommend checking out our guide to enjoying the tax benefits of a solar roof, including credits and exemptions for the New Jersey area.
Tax benefits are just another way that GAF solar roofing can save you money.
6. Low Maintenance
While solar panels are amazing, they often need maintenance to continue functioning properly. GAF solar roofing is virtually maintenance-free. Many systems will need to be monitored for pests, such as birds making their nests under the panels, but the direct-to-deck makeup of the GAF system will keep critters from being able to build their homes in unwanted places.
GAF panels will occasionally need to be hosed down in drier climates to keep them performing at maximum capacity by clearing dust.
7. Low Profile
The DecoTech system is applied as part of your roof. It has an interlocking system that makes it easy to install while keeping it close to the deck as an integrated part of the roof system. Unlike old, rack-mounted systems that were a bright blue hue, DecoTech’s black gloss finish helps it blend seamlessly into your roof style, giving it a sleeker design and avoiding an eyesore.
8. Industry-Leading Warranty
The GAF DecoTech solar roofing materials are covered by a 25-year limited manufacturing warranty. This covers defects from the manufacturing process and also has elements that protect energy performance. The warranty is transferable one time, making it an asset to future homebuyers. Read the manufacturer’s warranty for all the correct details regarding coverage.
9. Superior Water Shedding
The system’s panels are surrounded by a top-of-the-line perimeter protection system. They utilize counterflashing and step flashing to keep water from penetrating your roof and leaking into your home. Because they are integrated into the roofing system and applied directly to the deck, the installation process requires less drilling into the roof deck, also preventing leaks and helping to properly shed water.
10. Designed as Part of the Roof Replacement Process
Unlike many solar roofing systems that are designed to be installed as a secondary thought on your roof, the DecoTech system was designed to be integrated during a roof replacement. The solar panels are standard size, yet they integrate seamlessly with the roofing system.
Rather than hire a secondary company to install solar roofing on your home after a roofing replacement, a GAF professional can do your roof and solar installation all in one step, saving you time and money.
Hire a GAF Roofing Professional
For the best results with any GAF roof installation, you should hire a certified GAF roofing contractor. When installing a GAF solar roof, a certified professional will know how to leave your roof uncompromised, protecting the shingles and decking during the installation process to keep damage from occurring.
Taking Solar to the Next Level
Whether you need a full roof replacement and want to enhance your home’s efficiency with solar panels or you are simply looking to install a solar system, our team of GAF solar roofing experts at American Home Contractors is ready to help. We are a certified Master Elite GAF contractor, so our team is trained to properly install all GAF products, giving your home solar roofing you can rely on.
Request a quote with our team today to see how we can finally bring the solar roofing of your dreams to your home.
