Roof Replacement - A Good Chance to Go Green

The greenest roof replacement you can opt for is a metal roof. If you opt for a metal roof you will instantly be saving money. Unlike other roofing materials, a metal roof can be laid directly on top of the existing roof regardless of the condition. With any other roofing material the roofing contractor would have to scrap off the old roofing materials and throw your old roof into a landfill. Not only is this more costly to your bottom line but it is also not an environmentally friendly option. By using a metal roof you eliminate the need for roof removal and disposal, not to mention saving space in the landfill. Your metal roof is also a great energy saver if you do it right.

Metal roofing is known as cool roofing because it draws in less solar heat than traditional asphalt roofing. This will help you cut your power bills to cool your home in the summer and will help create a more enjoyable indoor climate for you.

To get the most of your cool roofing, you should opt for a white or lighter colored metal roof replacement if you can. The lighter colors are more effective at reflecting the suns rays away and this can be especially important if you have an air conditioning unit or duct work located in your attic.

Another option to consider is adding radiant heat barriers to the metal replacement roof. This is just a thin layer of metal insulation that resembles tin foil and can cut up to 95% of radiant heat transfer into your attic. This can add up to a good chunk of savings on your energy bills.

In order to make the most out of your green metal roof you should also make sure your roof does not contain any amount of lead. Your roofing metal and the roof’s coating should be metal free. Having any amount of lead on your roof could lead to future health risk down the road that is simply not worth the risk when you can opt for lead free.

Another option to maintain your green mindset is to purchase a metal replacement roof that is made from recycled composite materials. A metal roof can be made from 100% recyclable materials and the higher the recycle content, the less used metals going into landfills.

And with that in mind, remember that 85% of construction waste is recyclable so make sure your contractor is in a green mindset and will either dispose of or reuse materials accordingly and keep them out of the landfills.

If you follow these tips, you should see your energy bills go down and your carbon footprint shrink with your green roof replacement.