Sustainable roofing more Green News
01 December, 2008 |
by ernesto  |
If you are building a new house or replacing your roof, try and install a sustainable roof.
It's a roofing system that is designed, constructed, maintained, rehabilitated, and demolished with an emphasis throughout its life cycle on using natural resources efficiently and preserving the global environment.
While many homeowners may think that a sustainable roof requires a large gesture, choosing any one of these options can make a large environmental impact. Even asphalt shingles can be upgraded to reduce energy and construction waste and could just get you a break on your homeowner's insurance.
Minimize the burden on the environment
Conserve energy
Extend roof system life span
Sustainable vented roofs
Here are the rough costs of various roofing materials.
- Use products made from raw materials whose extraction is the least damaging to the environment.
- Adopt systems and working practices that minimize waste.
- Avoid products that result in hazardous waste.
- Recognize regional climatic and geographical factors.
- Where logical, use products that could be reused or recycled.
- Promote the use of "green roof systems" supporting vegetation, especially on city or flat roofs.
- Consider roof system designs that ease the sorting and salvage of materials at the end of the life of a roof system.
Conserve energy
- Optimize the real thermal performance of roof systems, recognizing thermal insulation can greatly reduce heating or cooling costs during the lifetime of a building.
- Keep insulation dry to maintain thermal performance and the durability of a roof system.
- Use local labor, materials and services when practical to reduce transportation.
- Recognize embodied energy values are a useful measure for comparing alternative constructions.
- Consider the roof surface color and texture with regard to climate and the effect on energy and roof system performance.
Extend roof system life span
- Employ designers, suppliers, contractors, trades people and facility managers who adequately are trained and have appropriate skills.
- Adopt a responsible approach to design, recognizing the value of a robust and durable roof system.
- Recognize the importance of a properly supported structure.
- Provide effective drainage to avoid ponding.
- Minimize the number of penetrations through a roof system.
- Ensure that high maintenance items are accessible for repair or replacement.
- Monitor roofing works in progress, and take corrective action as necessary.
- Control access onto completed roof systems to reduce punctures and other damage by providing defined walkways and temporary protection.
- Adopt preventative maintenance with periodic inspections and timely repairs.
Sustainable vented roofs
- Roofs are available with Energy Star rated "Cool" reflective membranes
- In re-roofing, wind vented roofs dry out existing wet roofs through horizontal continuous air exchange through the wet roof.
- By drying out a wet roof, the costly tear off is avoided, reducing landfill waste.
- Continuous drying of a wet roof mitigates the spread and growth of mold and increases a roof's thermal performance.
- Wind vented roofs are an ideal substrate for protecting a solar electrical system.
- Hurricane resistant.
- UV resistant
- Asbestos encapsulation
- Minimal use of adhesives and VOCs
- Minimal fastening and disturbance to existing roof substrate.
Here are the rough costs of various roofing materials.
- 20-year composition shingles - $35/10sqft
- 40- or 50-year composition shingles - $70/10sqft and up
- Class 4 (hail-resistant) composition shingles - $55-$70/10sqft
- Standing seam metal - $186/10sqft, plus cost of trim
- Cement tile roof - $109/10sqft
- Synthetic slate - $299-$440/10sqft
