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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.
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