Member-only story
Why Bermuda Roofs are Always White
It looks pretty but that’s not the main reason
If you have a chance to look at Bermuda from above, you will see a uniform sight: blindingly white roofs everywhere.
It is not a coincidence, but rather a clever, time-tested design that turned into a legal requirement on the island (you may look it up in the Bermuda Residential Building Code).
The main purpose of this design is to collect rainwater: every house on the island must have its own water tank beneath, of the mandated minimum size, to ensure water is collected when it rains. Bermuda does not have any other sources of water, and for centuries, rainwater was collected, saved, and used for all domestic purposes. Each home owner had a responsibility to collect and use it wisely, and this is still the case today.
The surface of the roofs is cascaded and ridged to allow more water to collect and flow down, directed by the ridge design into gutters, pipes hidden in the walls, and down into the water tank.
They say the water can be heard gurgling down the pipes when it rains heavily, and this is the sound every Bermudan home owner likes to hear.
