Many homeowners want to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, save money, and reduce harmful impacts on the environment. To this end, the roof can be an excellent area to make improvements. Learn more about how you can have an environmentally-friendly roof on your home. 

Are There Environmentally Friendly Roofing Materials?

When it is necessary to have a new roof installed, you will have the option of using environmentally-friendly materials. For example, some homeowners may not be aware of the option of using recycled shingles. Additionally, you will have the option of using all-natural materials, such as stone or wood tiles. In addition to being less harmful to the environment, these options will be as or more durable than many of the more common roofing materials options. Talk to local roofing companies about which materials you should use for your new roof.

Can Any Home Accommodate a Green Roof?

For homeowners that are wanting the most environmentally friendly roofing options, a green roof can be an attractive solution. A full green roof will involve the placement of a layer of live plants on it. While this can provide effective and long-lasting roofing for the home, it can have its challenges. Specifically, a green roof can be extremely heavy, and this may not make it a suitable option for every building unless the roof is significantly reinforced. Much of this weight will be due to the soil that is needed to sustain the covering. Furthermore, this weight can greatly increase when it rains due to the soil and the plants retaining moisture. Before choosing this option, have the roof inspected so you will know whether it can support the extra weight.

Is It Possible to Dispose of the Old Roofing Materials in an Environmentally-Friendly Way?

After any type of roofing work is done to your home, you may find that there is a substantial amount of leftover debris. Luckily, it is usually possible to recycle the debris from your roofing work. This recycling will allow these materials to be repurposed. For example, asphalt shingles may be melted and reformed so that they can be used on another building. Those that have used wood shingles and tiles may opt to have this debris composted. One advantage of recycling these materials is that you may be able to avoid the expensive fees that most landfills will charge for disposing of large amounts of construction waste.