You’ve probably heard of white roofing as an environmentally friendly roofing material, but there are more options out there. There’s benefits to choosing any colour of metal roof, plus you can get recycled and synthetic shingles that reduce waste and reduce the need for logging.
You can also look for companies who use environmentally friendly practices to minimize their impact. For example, when we remove old shingles from a roof, we recycle the shingles and nails.
Find A Company That Recycles Old Shingles
We call it a clean dump. This means we put in extra time to separate metals, vents, and accessories from the recyclable materials and dump them separately. The old shingles are recycled back into asphalt and the nails are recyclable, too.
Not a lot of companies do clean dumps because it takes more time and effort. If you’re looking for environmentally friendly roofing materials, it’s worth finding a company that will recycle your roofing materials.
Environmentally Friendly Roofing Materials
White Roofing
White roofing often refers to the membrane or paint on commercial flat roofs, but you can get white metal roofs, as well.
The most well-known benefit of white roofing is that it absorbs less heat which means the homeowner spends less money on air conditioning. For this same reason, the building doesn’t absorb as much of the sun’s heat in winter, so these systems are generally better for climates that are warm year-round.
Metal Roofing
Here in Lethbridge, metal roofs are a practical, environmentally friendly option. Their long lifespan means your roof won’t need to be replaced as often, which saves waste from the landfills. Not only this, they can be recycled as well.
Metal roofs also reflect the sun’s rays better than shingles do so you still get that benefit of lower air conditioning costs in the summer. If you’re still set on white roofing, no problem—metal roofs come in white as well.
If you’re into gardening or rain harvesting, metal roofs work great. You won’t get granules in your rain barrels or other water collection areas like you may with older shingle roofs.
Recycled & Synthetic Shingles
You can get shingles that are made from recycled car tires and they’re designed to resemble wooden & slate shakes! They keep rubber out of landfills and are durable & long-lasting. Plus, they allow you to get that wooden shake look all while reducing the need for logging.
We source our synthetic shingles from Euroshield, a Canadian company based out of Calgary. Their products are responsibly made and offer great warranties.
Solar Shingles
Although they’re not as popular as the other options yet, we have to mentioned solar shingles. Their benefits are leagues above white roofing, since they generate energy instead of simply saving it. They’re different than solar panels as they’re designed to look like a shingle. They generate energy for your home which is, of course, environmentally friendly. As the demand for these products grows, prices adjust and technology advances. There’s a good few companies that offer solar shingles now, so shop around and find a product that works for you.
White roofs get a lot of attention since they lower energy costs in the long term, but they may not be the best option for your situation. Make sure you consider all your options for environmentally friendly roofing materials, like metal roofs, recycled & synthetic shingles, and solar shingles. Plus, make sure you hire a company that will dispose of your old shingles properly.
