These days more and more people are thinking about going green. Many aspects of life can be altered to be better for the planet and the individual, and roofing is no exception. Two popular new trends for making both residential and commercial roofing more environmentally friendly are green roofs and solar roofs. Not only do these options reduce the carbon footprint of a home or business structure, they can also significantly reduce costs.

Green roofs, also known as living roofs, use soil and plant life over a layer of waterproofing materials to insulate the building. There are two types of green roofs, intensive and extensive. The intensive has at least a foot of soil, and requires more structural support due to its weight. More types of plants can be grown on an intensive roof, but there is often significant maintenance required.

Extensive green roofs, on the other hand, have only a few inches of soil and usually make use of hardy plants and grasses. These roofs usually only require maintenance once a year and thus are more common. Green roofs have a number of benefits, both for the environment and the building owner. The soil greatly reduces storm water runoff, as well as providing a barrier between the roofing materials and the sun.

This results in fewer roofing repairs over the lifetime of the structure. Since these roofs do not have the same heat absorbing qualities that dark shingled roofs do, they can also reduce the heat island effect. This is an effect that results in cities being several degrees warmer than the rural areas surrounding them. Green roofs can also lower heating and cooling costs of a building by over 50%.

In intensive green roofs, the area can be turned into a park or wildlife sanctuary for endangered insects or birds. This method both takes full use of the available space and provides excellent public relations for the company that owns the building. Some people have even grazed small farm animals, such as goats, on green roofs. Residential roofing, especially pitched roofs, may not lend itself to intensive green roofing as easily, but it can be done.

Solar roofs, on the other hand, produce energy for the building on which they are installed. Originally solar power had to be gathered in bulky panels, but the technology has become more streamlined and attractive. There are smaller, interlocking solar panels available that will fit over the tiles of a standard roof, retaining the same attractive look of a normal roof while converting energy for the building. Whether for residential roofing or commercial roofing, these solar panels can end up saving a good deal of money in electrical bills.

Some electric companies will even pay the owner of the building for any excess electricity they feed into the system from the solar panels. Many installation companies will offer a limited warranty for as much as 25 years for roofing repairs should the panels malfunction. These new trends in roofing can greatly benefit both the environment and the consumer. While more pricey than standard roofs, the energy saved and produced, as well as available tax breaks for making environmentally friendly structural changes, may make it worth the effort.

These days more and more people are thinking about going green. Many aspects of life can be altered to be better for the planet and the individual, and roofing is no exception. Two popular new trends for making both residential and commercial roofing more environmentally friendly are green roofs and solar roofs. Not only do these options reduce the carbon footprint of a home or business structure, they can also significantly reduce costs.

Green roofs, also known as living roofs, use soil and plant life over a layer of waterproofing materials to insulate the building. There are two types of green roofs, intensive and extensive. The intensive has at least a foot of soil, and requires more structural support due to its weight. More types of plants can be grown on an intensive roof, but there is often significant maintenance required.

Extensive green roofs, on the other hand, have only a few inches of soil and usually make use of hardy plants and grasses. These roofs usually only require maintenance once a year and thus are more common. Green roofs have a number of benefits, both for the environment and the building owner. The soil greatly reduces storm water runoff, as well as providing a barrier between the roofing materials and the sun.

This results in fewer roofing repairs over the lifetime of the structure. Since these roofs do not have the same heat absorbing qualities that dark shingled roofs do, they can also reduce the heat island effect. This is an effect that results in cities being several degrees warmer than the rural areas surrounding them. Green roofs can also lower heating and cooling costs of a building by over 50%.

In intensive green roofs, the area can be turned into a park or wildlife sanctuary for endangered insects or birds. This method both takes full use of the available space and provides excellent public relations for the company that owns the building. Some people have even grazed small farm animals, such as goats, on green roofs. Residential roofing, especially pitched roofs, may not lend itself to intensive green roofing as easily, but it can be done.

Solar roofs, on the other hand, produce energy for the building on which they are installed. Originally solar power had to be gathered in bulky panels, but the technology has become more streamlined and attractive. There are smaller, interlocking solar panels available that will fit over the tiles of a standard roof, retaining the same attractive look of a normal roof while converting energy for the building. Whether for residential roofing or commercial roofing, these solar panels can end up saving a good deal of money in electrical bills.

Some electric companies will even pay the owner of the building for any excess electricity they feed into the system from the solar panels. Many installation companies will offer a limited warranty for as much as 25 years for roofing repairs should the panels malfunction. These new trends in roofing can greatly benefit both the environment and the consumer. While more pricey than standard roofs, the energy saved and produced, as well as available tax breaks for making environmentally friendly structural changes, may make it worth the effort.

These days, there is a big push to “go green” in every sector of society. The actions we take at home and in business strongly impact our world. This has created and fueled a comparatively recent new field in the arena of construction materials: green choices in building materials.

This means that you have lots of choices now in building materials such as insulation and roofing. These choices will actually lower your costs in living in your home or operating your business. They will also reduce your carbon footprint. This means you will be leaving the world a little better for future generations.

The options available in green roofing construction are varied, and they become more so with each passing day. These days, there are many green options for roof covering. There are also green alternatives to shingles and insulation. You may have put off thinking about green roofing because you think it is too expensive; however, now would be a great time to look into it.

When you think about how long roofs usually last, you may realize that green building materials will save you money in the long run. Often, the cost is actually reimbursed within just a single year of installation. Therefore, you will be able to enjoy savings on your energy bills and the fact that you are not draining the planet of energy for the rest of the life of your roof. If you are worried about the health of the earth, this is an excellent option for you.

Installation of tile roofing material is costlier than typical asphalt shingle construction, but it will last far longer. This is an effective solution since there is minimal waste as a result. Other very environmentally friendly green roofing construction options are membrane roofing and reflective shingles. Keep in mind that not just the roof covering is important in these circumstances.

The materials that go into forming the roof are significant too. Use renewable woods that are easy to find and easy to regrow. Avoid exotic, old growth woods that may be difficult to find and impossible to replace. When you build green, you leave as little impact on the Earth as possible. This reduces the amount of waste produced by using recycled materials whenever you can. To do this, you might want to salvage some roofing trusses, some recycled insulation materials, and lots of other building components. This will limit the impact that the building of your home will have on the Earth.