Getting An Environmentally Friendly Roof - A "Green" Roof

In this day and age it is both timely and necessary that everybody is aware of the environmental impact of the materials they use and surround themselves with. Naturally, this extends to roofing and interestingly the type of roof a structure has can play a significant role in determining how environmentally friendly that building is due to factors like energy efficiency and the greenhouse effect. In this article we will briefly explain and discuss some of these key points.

Solar Panels

If you are considering building a new roof or replacing an existing one, definitely consider having solar panels installed to reduce the environmental impact of the building. Producing your own electricity means you depend less on polluting fossil fuels.

The Greenhouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect describes what happens when radiation from the sun becomes trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. We are taught to think about this from the perspective of gases in the atmosphere that trap radiation but the effect is more nuanced than that. The Greenhouse Effect can also be used to describe how much solar radiation is absorbed or reflected by your roof. If it is absorbed it will cause the house to warm, which has the added impact of potentially requiring more cooling, demanding more energy usage.

Reflecting solar radiation back into space is therefore not only good for the planet but also good for your property and your electricity bill. Traditionally, this approach would imply that a white roof is a better choice than a black one, and there is some truth to this idea but the reality is that solar radiation covers a much broader spectrum than just visible light.

Thankfully, to make the task of reflecting solar radiation easy, some very clever scientists have invented roof coatings that are designed specifically to reflect a broad range of solar radiation. These coatings come standard with modern metal roofing although they can also be applied to almost any roofing material and are a very smart investment.

Recyclability

When roofs made of stone, terracotta or asphalt degrade there is little chance of recycling that material back into roofing material. Metal, on the other hand, is almost infinitely recyclable under the right conditions. Given enough time, however, every roof will need to be replaced so the question of what happens to that material afterwards and where it came from is worth considering.

Living Roofs

If you fancy yourself a complete devotee to the environmentally conscious movement, you should consider the possibility of a living roof. This could mean living partially underground in a home fit for a hobbit or actually growing a garden on your roof. Beware though, most existing houses and roofs are not designed to handle the extra weight or stress of having a garden retrofitted and therefore this idea should only be considered in close communication with an architect. 

Contact Ideal Roofing for Expert Advice on Roofing

​Environmentally conscious innovators are constantly redefining the market of what is possible in roofing and Ideal Roofing is one roofing company in Sydney that is staying on top of the ball. We are excited by innovation and keen to implement it so if you want to make your roof an environmentally friendly one we are keen to help. Call us today for a free quote on (02) 9525 2066 or contact us online.