Colonial Floor Care, South Florida’s terrazzo restoration specialists, is deeply committed to the care of our environment and the health of your home. We use no harmful or toxic chemicals in our restoration processes. We promote the restoration of terrazzo floors not only because of their beauty and durability, but because they are excellent natural coolants for your home, saving energy costs and consumption.

Today we will discuss another important way for South Florida homeowners to conserve energy and save money, while continuing to make their homes greener.

White roofs have been getting a lot of attention in recent years in Southern Climates. The New York Times published an article on July 29, 2009 explaining why this is so.

The article opens by telling the story of Jon and Kim Waldrep from Sacramento. It explains that after a long summer workday, they would return home and be met with a wall of heat.

"We’d come home in the summer and the house would be 115 degrees," said Mr. Waldrep. He or his wife would race to the thermostat and turn on the air conditioning as their four small children, just picked up from day care, awaited relief.

All that changed last month. "Now we come home on days when it’s over 100 degrees outside and the house is at 80 degrees.

Their solution was a new roof: a shiny plasticized white covering that experts say is not only an energy saver but also a way to help cool the planet.

Relying on the centuries old principle that white objects absorb less heat than dark ones, homeowners like the Waldreps are in the vanguard of a movement embracing "cool roofs" as one of the most affordable weapons against climate change.

Studies show that white roofs reduce air conditioning costs by 20 percent or more in hot, sunny wether. Lower energy consumption also means fewer of the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

What is more, a white roof can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart, depending on the materials used, while slashing electricity bills.

Art Rosenfeld, a scientist and member of the California Energy Commission who has been campaigning for cool roofs since the 1980’s, argues that turning all of the world’s roofs light over the next 20 years could save the equivalent of 24 billion metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions.

Whether it is your roof or your terrazzo floors, choosing the greenest option is best for your home, your environment and your future. Call us at 954-566-4555 for a free estimate for terrazzo restoration, or to learn more about the green properties of terrazzo.