’Going green’ should be imperative these days for many different reasons. One of the best and most important reasons is connected to the planet’s overall health. Environmental issues are a growing concern in recent years and decades, and global worming is one of the key problems of our century.
With that in mind, many people across the globe are trying to find various ways to alleviate the environmental problems our planet is facing. That’s why it’s pertinent to turn to recyclable materials that can help our planet survive in these harsh conditions. In case you’re thinking about installing a new roof, or you need to make changes to the existing one, we would recommend the following roofing options to consider. All of them have different pros and cons, so you should make a decision based on your particular situation.
Slate Roofs
First of all, slate roofs look great, no matter what anyone tells you. They also get some bonus points for being extremely durable. The downside of a slate roof is that it’s pretty heavy and needs a solid foundation that can support it. On top of this, slate is also rather expensive and hard to mine, even though it’s aesthetically very appealing with it’s fine-grained green, bluish, or green color.
This metamorphic rock is easy to split into smooth, flat pieces, and that’s one of the main reasons why it’s such a great option for roofing. On the other hand, it needs significant resources to mine it and process the right way – even transportation can get tricky at times. That’s why it’s kind of hard to call it our number one option when we put everything into equation.
Clay Tiles
Talking purely from a perspective of sustainability, clay tiles offer a great roofing material option. Many manufacturers claim that the clay they use for making tiles is the most sustainable material on the market since clay is so widespread.
But the reality of things is somewhat different, and we have to also consider the fact that many of these clay tiles need some special glazes or various other properties to make them more durable and attractive-looking. Like with ceramic tiles, clay tiles come from natural resources and they’re shaped and fired similarly to the ceramic ones. At the same time, we can’t really turn our blind eye to the fact that the aforementioned glazes or other added properties aren’t exactly environmentally friendly.
Copper Roofs
Like all metal roofs, copper is arguably the most durable material on the market. What also separates the copper roof from other roofing options are the facts that it has a curb appeal, it’s lightweight and energy-efficient at the same time. Being aesthetically appealing is another added benefit of the copper roof that shouldn’t be disregarded.
Many Australians are opting for copper roofs these days because it’s proven to be a great solution for many homes over centuries (and even millennia!). The most pertinent thing would be to find a reliable and trustworthy option for copper roofing in Sydney. That way you’ll be certain that not only your home has an energy-efficient roof that reflects the light (keeping the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter), is extremely durable, lightweight, and beautiful – but also that it’s environmentally friendly. The only downside would probably be the price, but given the fact that it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever need to change it again, it’s definitely worth the money.
Wooden Shakes and Shingles
Speaking of sustainable materials, wooden shakes and shingles absolutely have to make our list. There’s no argument about wood being a sustainable resource, but only if we assume that the shakes and shingles are all actually made from sustainably harvested sources.
Also Read: What to Consider When Replace Your Home Roof, Cost, and Process
This can be difficult to find out at times, so if you’re aiming for a completely sustainable material for your home, you may have some troubles here. We should also mention that wooden shakes and shingles require too much energy to be produced, so it’s highly questionable if the pros can outweigh the cons. On top of everything, wooden shakes and shingles are not very durable, especially if they’re not treated with any synthetic additives or preservatives. And in case they are, it’s fairly hard to count them as the best recyclable option on the market
’Green’ or ’Living’ Roofs
This is another roofing option that’s becoming fairly popular in Australia. These so-called ’green roofs’ are designed to offer something completely different than other roofing materials out there. They’re also known as ’living roofs’ because they are covered by vegetation.
Although this sounds like a perfect roofing solution for anyone who truly wants to go green, the downside of this roofing option can be a synthetic waterproof membrane that needs to be installed underneath. This heavy-duty rubber membrane isn’t the most perfect environment-friendly material since it’s made with petroleum. On top of everything, green roofs can be very hard to maintain and hard to install, even though they generally present great insulation for your home.
The Bottom Line
Whatever it is that you end up choosing for roofing your home, we’d strongly encourage you and advise you to look into some of the options we’ve laid out here for you.
