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Roofing and environment

 
   

Well insulated roofs and reflective roofs (roofs capable of avoiding high temperatures under them) are good for the environment.

Installing a reflective roof - through coatings, membranes, high reflective tiles, etc. - helps reduce the individual air conditioning costs as well as the heat island effect in our cities, decreasing the amount of smog and the collective needs for air conditioning. And since most of the energy consumed worldwide in cooling is generated from fossil fuels largely responsible for air pollution, acid rain and global climate change, reflective roofs are a positive environmental step.

Note:
the «heat island» effect is a phenomenon expressed in city higher temperatures, comparatively to those of the surrounding countryside. Theses temperatures are about 2 to 8°F warmer and are largely a consequence of the dark and low reflective materials used in the roof buildings and city pavements.

See:
Attic insulation
Roof and ceiling insulation
Roof membranes and coatings
Metal and ceramic roof materials
Selecting roofing materials and installers

Recycled
shingles

You may choose recycled shingles for roofing your house, but this isn't the best environmental solution. The dark color of those shingles represents a bad energy-efficiency option, since it causes huge absorption of heat in the hot weather, raising the cooling needs. Besides, for those who want to collect the rainwater from the roof, the asphalt shingles are also a poor solution, because they make the water undrinkable. Recycled metal and plastic shingles are, at this level, a much better option

Recycled metal and plastic shingles

Manufacturers are now presenting recycled metal and plastic roofing products (shingles). These solutions are affordable and are often a practical and aesthetical option. Be aware, anyway: the color, the quality and the coatings are very important elements, and you should take them into account. Bare metal materials or dark colored products are poor solutions in terms of energy.

 






See also:
Roof basics
Roof membranes and coatings
Metal and ceramic roof materials
Selecting roofing materials and installers
Roofs and climates
Attic insulation
Roof and ceiling insulation
Reflective insulation

Installing a green roof
Green roofs costs, pros and cons



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