Renovating your home’s roof can be expensive, especially if it’s made of high-quality materials and the local eco-friendly roofing contractors are experts in what they do. Nevertheless, the money was well spent. Your roof safeguards both your property and you personally. Your roof controls your home’s heat gain and loss and shields you from the region’s severe weather. But to make this money even more valuable, you should pick an ecologically friendly roofing alternative because it is not only durable but also renewable and sustainably protects our lovely planet. Roofs that are environmentally friendly are strong and very energy efficient. After you read our recommendations for the top ecologically friendly roofing options you will be sure to contact the top best roofing contractors near you in Tuscaloosa, Alabama!
What Makes a Roof Eco-Friendly?
-
Energy-Efficiency
It’s crucial to note that an eco-friendly roof improves a home’s energy efficiency by minimizing heat gains and losses because most of a home’s heat loss happens via the roof. Usually, cool roofs reflect most of the sunlight and observe less heat energy because these roofs have high levels of “heat emittance”
-
Grit
An ecologically sustainable, long-lasting roofing material keeps its integrity against humidity, wind, wildfire, dust and debris, snowfall, frost, and hail throughout the duration of its anticipated life. A strong roof will last longer, reducing the requirement for early replacement and the demand for landfill areas.
-
Embodied Energy
The energy used in developing a building is known as embodied energy. This covers the energy expended on raw material extraction and processing, construction material production, transportation and distribution, and assembly and installation. It indicates the overall amount of energy used to make the roofing product including the mining process, the processing of natural resources, the use of locally obtained materials, and the energy used in transportation and the delivery of goods.
-
Contribute to a Healthy Ecosystem
Eco-friendly roofing materials are safe for the environment as they don’t release any dangerous materials into the environment. Roofers use asphalt for roofing, which is not eco-friendly.
-
Recyclability
To reduce, if not wholly eliminate, landfill trash, environmentally friendly roofing should also strive towards 100% reusability.
Tips for Choosing Sustainable Roofing Materials
- Recycled Content: Verify the roofing material’s use of recycled materials. Generally speaking, a larger percentage is desirable, yet durability ultimately takes precedence.
- Maintenance: Check that there are no harmful items that could damage your roofing material.
- Coatings: Avoid roofing materials with copper or zinc coatings because they can wash into water sources and pose a threat to aquatic life.
- Color and reflectivity: If you live in a hot area, search for roofing materials with a light color and good reflectivity.
- Warranty: Choose roofing materials that have the longest warranty possible, since this is a sign of quality and grit.
- Lowering the Wight of the roof
- The roof must have a slope
- Proper Maintenance
Best Eco-Friendly Roofing Options
-
Solar Roofs
Solar panels and tiles are only a couple of the several types of solar roofing. solar roofing absorbs sunlight, which transforms solar energy into useful power. It is also a green roofing solution that may significantly save energy costs. They both don’t add to air pollution since they both rely on sunlight to produce energy. It lasts more than 40 years as long as proper maintenance is to be done.
-
Metal Roofs
Metal roofs need a lot of energy to make, but they are beautiful, durable, and frequently have a high recycled content or are simple to recycle after their useful life. metal roofing materials well-reflected UV rays. Because the sun’s rays bounce back off your roof without absorbing any heat, you’ll wind up using less air conditioning, making metal roofing is one of the most energy-efficient options for roofing. technically viable metals because they are produced using resources that are extracted from the ground. However, the creation of environmentally friendly metal roofs from fresh or recycled metal goods results in a long-lasting roof structure that can last 55 years.
-
Concrete Roof Shingles
Concrete roof shingles provide several environmentally friendly benefits. These benefits include natural energy efficiency, sustainability, and extended lifespan. Cement, sand, water, and iron oxide colors are just a few of the natural, locally obtained elements that go into making concrete tiles, you may create under extreme heat and pressure.
4. Clay Roofs
Clay roofs, commonly known as terra cotta tiles, are charming and have a number of environmentally favorable qualities. They save energy by dispersing heat and acting as insulation from both heat and cold. durable and resistant to fire and insects and are long-lasting and can withstand powerful, severe winds. Similar to ceramic tile, authentic clay tiles are created from natural clay that has been molded and burned. For color or other particular features, certain tiles are given specific glazes or paints. Clay tiles may break if stepped on, thus they require a lot of upkeep.
5. Cedar Wood Shakes
Since the majority of cedar roofing shingles and shakes come from sustainable cedarwood harvesters, they are an environmentally responsible choice for roofing. Additionally, because of their incredible thermal resistance, you will save a significant amount of energy when heating or cooling your house. You may also recycle damaged or old shingles to make garden compost. However, moving the shakes out of the mill requires a significant amount of energy. Additionally, Cedarwood shakes need a lot of expensive care to maintain their structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. Regular cleaning, treatment, restoration, and repair are all considered forms of maintenance.
6. Green Roof
A green roof is waterproofing with a layer of flora grown on top. It builds on top of a flat or slightly sloped roof. These roofs are heat repellents, regulate the temperature of the home, and provide shades as well. Other names for green roofs are vegetative or eco-roofs. There are several advantages to planting a green roof, especially in metropolitan areas where it helps to clean the air and lessen the heat effect. Green roofing comes in two main varieties called intensive and extensive. The amount of greenery used distinguishes these from one another.
7. Shingle Roof From Recycled Materials
Most shingles are now made from recycled materials like plastic, wood fiber, and rubber. You can find recycled slate and cedar shakes that look like the real thing. For individuals who cannot afford the pricey slate roofs, recycled shingles are a great option because they are relatively economical. They have a long lifespan of more than five decades, and the roof also has environmental advantages. This roof also has a lovely appearance. Utilization of this roof will result in less waste and a decrease in the requirement to process fresh raw materials.
8. Rubber Roofing
Rubber, plastic, and polymers provide the structure necessary for rubber roofing. Recycled materials, such as tires, sawdust, and slate includes in rubber roofs. To improve sealing properties, rubber roofing is the best option. If done correctly, a rubber roof should last for up to 50 years or more. But these roofs may easily be punctured by a little force and dry weather conditions are required for proper installation. So, it is better to avoid this type of roofing.
Conclusion
We’ve given you a guide on Eco-friendly roofing options and tips on how to go about purchasing one for your next roof renovation and how to search for roofing contractors. Do your part for the environment by looking for eco-friendly options. These options should not only be strong but also offer you a warranty. In addition, they should be good for the environment by not ending up as trash in a landfill. After all, it’s your home, it’s your roof, it’s your family to safeguard, and it’s your environment to live in. So, be careful about the environment during the installation of the roofs and always hire the best, professional and eco-friendly roofing contractors for work.
