Roof Colour In This Heat Wave.....dark Roofs Must Be Dying?

[DeanS]

I didn't ever think that a white or black roof would have THAT much effect on a boats temp in THIS country, but looking at the recent weather, I would definately think that dark roof-ed boats must surely be suffering today. I painted my roof beige for my solar panels...so it's not too bad....but wow it's so hot....I cant walk on my gunwhales without shoes...

[i love my narrowboat]

our roof is blue and definitely can't walk on it barefoot. I do believe you could cook an egg on it!!

I didn't ever think that a white or black roof would have THAT much effect on a boats temp in THIS country, but looking at the recent weather, I would definately think that dark roof-ed boats must surely be suffering today. I painted my roof beige for my solar panels...so it's not too bad....but wow it's so hot....I cant walk on my gunwhales without shoes...

I bet your solar panels are sucking up that sunshine,

[Ex- Member]

Our roof is Cream and if it wasn't I don't think we could survive on here. Being on dry land currently with the boat in the open and the Hull painted Black and Dark Green side panels it's cooking on here now LOL A dark roof as well would finish us off for sure. At one stage yesterday internal Temp was 37 degrees, that was with all openings fully open.

 

We stay Blacked out in the morning and the boat stays cool till around 12 noon, it then starts to heat up quite quickly though, so we have to open everything up. Without fans as well it would be extremely difficult right now.

 

Still we'll be on the water in 5 weeks today, will be a long 5 weeks though if this weather keeps up.

[DeanS]

our roof is blue and definitely can't walk on it barefoot. I do believe you could cook an egg on it!!

I bet your solar panels are sucking up that sunshine,

 

They are supplying about 50Amps at this precise moment....and that goes on for most of the day. No need for gennie or running boat engine so I'm happy.

Edited July 18, 2013 by DeanS

[i love my narrowboat]

We have portholes and have front and back doors open and side hatch and a fan and it is lovely and cool. but then we have been sleeping like it also,

[lexicon]

Wooden roof painted cream is the way to go in this weather.

Can walk on it comfortably if I wanted too.

[i love my narrowboat]

 

They are supplying about 50Amps at this precise moment....and that goes on for most of the day. No need for gennie or running boat engine so I'm happy.

not being very techy when it comes to amps etc but I do know 50 is a lot, great stuff, saves the diesel :-), we were thinking of putting some on our top boxes, for when we are out on the cut travelling.

[john6767]

Our roof is light grey, no way can you walk on it in bare feet in this sun. In the sun the other day I could not walk on the wooden decking at home in bare feet.

[DeanS]

not being very techy when it comes to amps etc but I do know 50 is a lot, great stuff, saves the diesel :-), we were thinking of putting some on our top boxes, for when we are out on the cut travelling.

 

As far as I understand a generator + a battery charger would supply around 30Amps.....I dont really care what they are putting into the batteries.....but I'm very happy they are able to deliver power INSTEAD of me drawing it FROM the batteries and then having to recharge them daily.......

 

I have a green boat with beige roof. The sprayfoam seems to keep the heat out well.....I was planning on repainting the roof a dark grey, but having 2nd thoughts now.

[bowten]

As you say the on the outside of the boat yer could fry an egg but on my boat it is much cooler on the inside,as it should be if the insulation is effective.

[Kwacker]

I knelt down on my nice shiny aluminium engine cover the other day and burned my knee .... ouch!!!

Surprisingly (and I WAS surprised), despite the engine no being hot, the engine cover was hotter than the boat roof, which is dark blue.

[bigste]

I once saw an egg fry on a land rover wing. It fried in seconds.

[onionbargee]

measured 57 deg C on the black painted side of my cabin the other day,

[billS]

I am kept cool by the breeze from my ecofan, temporarly mounted on my dark hatch cover

[Kae]

Can't put my hand on the dark blue side panels, but can do so on the cream roof... it's definitely staying cream!

[john6767]

I am kept cool by the breeze from my ecofan, temporarly mounted on my dark hatch cover

I never thought of doing that, does it go round? Not that it's going to cool you, but it's fun.

[bizzard]

Gas cigarette lighters left in the sun are going off pop all over the place.

[PhilR]

I'm not convinced that a boat with a light coloured roof is significantly cooler inside than with a boat with a dark roof (as long as here is decent insulation inside). OK - it might be a degree or two cooler.

 

My dark green roof is too hot to touch today, but the ambient temperature inside the boat is the same temperature as it is outside. ... but the cabin sides are cream which might help?

 

IME, it can be rather hard on the eyes (headache inducing stuff) steering a boat in this weather with a white or cream coloured roof. Swings and roundabouts, and how many days do we have each year when it really matters? It would be good to hear from anyone who has first hand experience after a re-paint .....

[DeanS]

IME, it can be rather hard on the eyes (headache inducing stuff) steering a boat in this weather with a white or cream coloured roof. Swings and roundabouts, and how many days do we have each year when it really matters? It would be good to hear from anyone who has first hand experience after a re-paint .....

 

Before putting the solar panels up I had a green undercoat on the roof and heard that solar panels like to be cool, so I put a cheap cream....matt finish paint on....it gets filthy but it doesnt shine in the sun so has been fine while cruising...but I look at other boats roofs which seem much neater...and cleaner....(because they use darker paint or gloss paint that can be washed better), and was considering a repaint. I like the non gloss option...and a darker paint option (with sand for non slip) ....but with a widebeam, I'd hate the big fat roof to roast us......so now I'm thinking i might have to go with a dark stone colour perhaps.....

 

Another irritation is that when I try and clean the boat, the water dries instantly, and leaves trail marks ...even if it's a new cloth and clean water....so I've just given up.

[by'eck]

Kind of still on topic, I was bought this RoadPro 12 volt fan many years ago and initially dismissed it as some cheap plastic crap that would pack up the first time I used it. Seven years in the Caribbean and now pressed into action this summer on my narrowboat, its still going strong.

 

A little noisy in high speed mode but it still gives a good blast in the low setting. Don't know if it would last long on optional "D" cell (U2) batteries although only takes 0.5 amp flat out when connected to 12 volt socket.

 

I think they are available a little cheaper on eBay as well.

 

[cheshire~rose]

IME, it can be rather hard on the eyes (headache inducing stuff) steering a boat in this weather with a white or cream coloured roof. Swings and roundabouts, and how many days do we have each year when it really matters? It would be good to hear from anyone who has first hand experience after a re-paint .....

 

We used to have a dark green roof and a few years ago we repainted it cream.

In hot weather we do notice a marked improvement in the inside temperature. I would agree that it can glare when steering but as we both wear glasses with reactive lenses we don'y really tend to find it too much bother

[Québec]

We changed roof colour from dark blue (same as sides) to cream a couple of years ago. Definitely cooler - though still pretty warm - inside in hot, sunny weather.

 

Windows and doors open, blinds down on sunny side, occasional fine mist spray inside cabin with very cold water from fridge brings temperature down, also can be used on clothes as long as you don't mind feeling cool but a bit damp. The body is cooled by the heat loss used in drying the damp clothes.

[rgreg]

I changed my roof colour from sky blue to dark green and I really can't tell any difference in the internal temperature. Even in this heat, with all doors and windows opened, it remains bearable and the cabin ceiling cool to touch, so it must be down to insulation. The main benefits I find of the darker roof is that it doesn't get so dirty looking and far less glare when steering.

[KJT]

We have a cream roof, and a couple of large top boxes mounting five solar panels and the inside of the boat is pleasantly cool. We do have good insulation as well which must help!

We do keep the curtains drawn on the sunny side and the Houdini hatch and all windows and doors open.

 

It has been pleasantly bearable the past few days, surprisingly.

 

Ken

[peterboat]

Cream for me! last boat was a green roof I painted it cream and it dropped the temp in the boat overnight. So new boat cream from the off and its not hard on the eyes and like dean I think it helps my solar panels

 

Peter