Having an eco friendly roof has its many benefits, the longevity of our planet is crucial for the next generation but it’s not always a one size fits all fix. See the tips below to create the most sustainable home for your family.

1.Solar Panels– As I’m sure you already know the purpose of solar panels is to create clean energy from the light of the sun. Installing solar panels greatly reduces the greenhouse gases that are produced from the traditional energy sources to provide electricity to your home. There are also other ways that solar panels create “green’ savings; local government agencies offer financial incentives to homeowners willing to have solar panels installed on their roof. Plano roofers are able to apply this incentive to funding solar panels by applying for the Smart Energy Loan Program. Quality solar panels can even lengthen the longevity of your roof, the usual U.V. rays that are absorbed by the roof are now being blocked by the solar panels. While solar energy can drastically reduce or completely eliminate your energy bill the increase in the value of your home. Solar panels can be applied to just about any style of roof.

2. Install Rain Barrels- Having a rain barrel installed to your gutter system benefits the environment by reducing rainwater runoff and lessen the amount of fertilizers, pesticides, debris and asphalt shingle grains from your roof from entering local waterways. Installing rain barrels will also diminish the amount of erosion around the foundation of your home and your gutter’s downspouts. Additionally, tap water contains chlorine, calcium, fluoride, and other chemicals that can harm your landscaping and build up in the soil. By using rainwater collected in the barrels provides the purest possible water source to your lawn but the major attraction of installing rain barrels to you home’s gutter system in the financial benefit. Lawn irrigation accounts for 40% of the water used during the summer months which on average is about 1,300 gallons per year in the North Texas area.

3. Invest in Sustainable Roof Materials- Consider investing in eco friendly roofing material when your residential roof needs to be replaced. Recycled roof material keeps an abundance of shingle from ending up in a landfill. There is an abundance of shingle manufacturers that carry “green” options. These include shingles that are made from recycled wood fiber, plastic or rubber, many of these products come with 50 year warranties from the manufacturer. 

4. Consider a “Cool Roof”– Another option in roofing material is a standing seam metal roof coated with white paint that is reflective of the sun’s rays, this is considered the most eco friendly roof by Energy Star. A cool roof has been shown to reduce energy costs by 20%-30% for a residential home owner. The average metal roof can last 60 years with annual maintenance and necessary repairs, the cool coating from the “cool pigments” will lower the surface temperature of the roof. Commercial building owners can also benefit by having a commercial roofer paint their roof white. While having a white roof is advantageous in the warmer months in the winter months  a black roof will keep the home warmer and help deter ice and snow from accumulating on the roof. But there is a direct benefit to your community as well by reducing the urban island heat effect.

There are many common misconceptions about metal roofs, these include-

-Metal Roofs can Rust: Back 100 years ago this was an issue but with developments in product technology metal roofs can resist rot, rust, insects and can endure considerable impact from hail.

-A Metal Roof is loud: With the wisdom and skill of a professional roofer the installation will be over attic space and insulation where the sound of rain patter on a metal roof will be too muffled for you to hear within the interior space of the home.

-A Metal Roof requires lots of upkeep: A metal roof requires less upkeep than a traditional shingle or slate roof. Asphalt shingle can crack, curl, chip and blow off a house in high wind and wood shake can crack. Metal roofs are also the most fire resistant roof out of all other roofing materials.

5. Radiant Barrier- You can mention to your roofer about installing a radiant barrier to your attic, radiant barrier blocks around 90% of your roof deck’s heat. Radiant barrier is a reflective material applied to the OSB roof decking within the attic to create a more eco friendly roof, for radiant barrier to work it has to be applied to available air space where convective heat transfers occurs. The installed radiant barrier will work with your attic’s exhaust and intake to cool your attic thus leaving your home cooler in the North Texas summer months and reducing energy consumption. The reflective surface of your radiant barrier should be be cleaned biannually since dust accumulation reduces its reflective abilities.

6. Insulate Your Home- Homes that lack proper insulation are difficult to keep warm in the winter months, inside the walls and the roof of your home definitely needs insulation. “Green” insulation products include sheep’s wool, denim, aerogel, thermacork, cotton, polystyrene, cellulose, and icynene. Out of all these materials cellulose is the most eco friendly as it is made from recycled newsprint and other paper materials that would otherwise be in a landfill decomposing. Double glazing exterior windows is another form of insulation that most homeowners do not think about when trying to reduce their carbon footprint on the environment. Manufacturers inject air between the two pieces of glass for insulation benefits and add a low emissivity tint(low-E coating) to block ultraviolet light.

To inquire about an eco friendly roof with a five star rated Dallas Roofer call West Construction Group at 972-730-2594