Nowadays, when you’re choosing materials for your roofing needs (or for any kind of housing use), there’s an additional priority that many people want to keep in mind. We’re talking about options that are good for the environment. There has been an increasing need for environmentally friendly roofing options, but which are worth considering?
At Christian Brothers Roofing, we offer a variety of different roofing materials to suit your needs. Aside from asphalt shingles, we offer wood, concrete, clay, slate, metal, and more. But here we’re going to look even at some options not yet widely available for your interest.
Environmentally Friendly Roofing Options
Asphalt shingles
Though they are the most “typical” option, asphalt shingles (also known as composite shingles) are genuinely somewhat reliable in terms of their durability, so they don’t need to be replaced as often as some. However, they do use petroleum products to create, so they’re not the most sustainable on the market.
Concrete tile
Concrete tiles are often made using Portland cement, which does create quite a bit of CO2 in its creation due to the fact that the creation process uses a lot of energy. However, with that in mind, they are extremely durable when it comes to your roofing material, which means that they can last a long time without needing to be replaced. However, they are somewhat susceptible to damage from additional weight, so make sure that you don’t walk on a concrete roof if you want to see them live out their whole lifespan. Not the most sustainable option, but easy to keep for a long time.
Clay tile
When it comes to sustainability, there are pros and cons to clay tiles. They are heavy, first of all, so the roof may need additional supports to keep holding them up. They can also take more fuel to transport as a result of this weight. However, when it comes to the materials that they are made from, clay is a very common resource that isn’t too difficult to get from the earth or to turn into tiles. As such, it might not be entirely sustainable, but its production process is a lot less problematic than some of the other roofing options mentioned here.
Slate roofing
Compared to the other roofing options mentioned here, there is very little about slate roofing that could be called sustainable. The materials used to produce slate tiles are mined in stone form from the earth and are not as common as clay. Furthermore, the process of refining them into tiles is very resource-intensive and they are heavy, meaning that they cost more energy to transport. However, these tiles do have an excellent long life, offering one of the most durable roofing options that you could hope for. Very resilient and sturdy, slate roofing will last you longer than most of the other options featured here, so you won’t need to replace it for a long time.
Metal roofing
Metal roofing has a lot of eco-friendly qualities to it. For one, it can be made from new metal or recycled metal, so know where yours is coming from. What’s more, aside from being longer lasting than many roofing options, they also reflect light from the home, which also reflects heat, meaning that your home won’t heat up as quickly in the summer and, as such, you may not need to spend as much money on air conditioning.
Wood roofing
Wood shingles tend to be the most environmentally-friendly option available, to the point that some people will call them the only sustainable roofing. This is due to the fact that they come from an entirely renewable source, as the trees felled for wood shingles can be replanted. What’s more, even after your roof is taken down or replaced, wood tiles can be recycled into other wood products used by people in and around their own homes. They do have some drawbacks, such as requiring more maintenance to make sure that they don’t suffer from rot or mold, and they don’t last as long as other roofing materials, but it could be worth it for many, to get access to such a genuinely renewable material.
Get the roof that suits your needs
If you’re in need of a new roof, then Christian Brothers roofing does have the materials to suit your needs, just see how we’ve helped other clients in the area. Of course, before you replace your roof, you should make sure that you’re not being wasteful. We can provide a roof inspection, as well, to let you know whether your current roof still has some years of use left in it yet.