5 Eco-Friendly Roof Materials

The recent green-roof trend may have you thinking that eventually you’ll have to put a bunch of green plants on your roof. Although this is the form of green-roofing that many colleges and public buildings are adopting, it is not the only type and certainly not the most preferable option for a residence. You can still make your home environmentally friendly by simply doing a little more research about energy efficient roofing materials for your next roof replacement.

Even if you find yourself leaning away from any of the following options, you should find out what recycling options for your old materials exist or donate old tiles and shingles so they can be used to make new shingles or a concrete mix.

Solar Shingles: With an appearance like regular asphalt shingles, this environmentally friendly option features photovoltaic cells that collect the sun’s energy for use as electricity in your home! Better yet, you don’t need to cover your entire roof with them as just installing a few will trim your energy bill.

Recycled Shingles: Synthetic shingles are made from recycled materials like plastic or tires and can be made to look like cedar, slate or asphalt shingles. They are beneficial because they are much lighter, don’t require flame retardants and are even resistant to hail and mold. However, before installing recycled shingles, make sure your local building policies allow them, as there is no standardized manufacturing guidelines just yet.

White Roofs: This may sound strange but switching to a white roof, which is exactly what it sounds like, a roof that is white, can reduce energy and utility use by 20%. Additionally,  it saves on air conditioning that would normally emit half a ton of CO₂ as well as reducing smog levels in urban areas. Even if you are not ready for an entire new roof, you can install a white roof coating, which has similar effects until that time when you are ready for a replacement.

Metal Roofs: Metal roofs are one of the most eco-friendly roofing materials since it uses around 65% of recycled materials. Due to its ability to reflect sunlight, it lowers attic temperatures by 34% as well. Moreover, metal roofing has a lower weight than other materials so most of the time it can simply be installed over your old roof, eliminating the need for disposal of the old materials into a landfill.

Solar Panels: While still sitting on top of your house, this option is technically not a roof, but it is extremely eco-friendly. Using the same photovoltaic cells that solar shingles use, solar panels are larger and therefore save over 80,000 pounds of CO₂ per 3-bedroom household. While the cost is slightly extreme at first, some states offer tax incentives, money saving options or allowing the installation at no initial cost. See if you qualify for any of these benefits here.

Advanced Window Systems is happy to help you with any of your roof replacement or repair needs. Contact us today at 860-829-8044 for your FREE in-home estimate!