Honor Earth Day by Making Your Roof Environmentally Friendly

In today’s society consumers are often greatly concerned with not only saving money, but the environment as well. Fortunately, when it comes to roofing and siding, it’s possible to do both at the same time! Whether you’re considering a completely new roof or just a few repairs, it is possible to make your home more energy efficient during the process—you just have to speak up to your contractor about it. In honor of Earth Day 2012, the experts at Style Roofing have provided a few tips to make your home improvement projects green:

  1. Reduce and Reuse by Recycling!
    • In most cases, a roof is composed of several thousands of pounds of material, most of which can be recycled by your contractor. Otherwise, the great amount of material (equivalent to the weight of several years’ worth of trash) will pile up in landfills. Simply asking for your old roofing system to be recycled is a little thing that goes a long way in saving the environment!
  2. Have an Energy Audit Performed
    • A home or business energy audit is an evaluation provided by a professional that points out the best ways to improve a property’s energy efficiency. There could be ways to conserve energy that you never thought of before!
    • The best time for an energy audit is at the beginning of a roofing project so roofing installers can make the required changes to the roof’s structure. It’ll be much easier for contractors to improve attic air barriers, seal around lights and fans, and prevent wind wash around soffit vents when the roof is off.  In most cases, home and business owners find themselves saving double-digit percentages on utilities after making energy efficient changes to their property.
  3. Ensure Your Attic is Property Ventilated
    • As a basic rule of thumb, attics should be the temperature of the weather outside. Having a steady flow of moving air through vents along the eaves prevents your attic from heating while eliminating moist air that seeps through the celling.
    • More often than not, homes weren’t designed with enough ventilation space in the attic. Despite this, taking active measures to increase the air flow in your attic not only makes your roofing system stronger, it also improves the overall energy efficiency of a home or business as well.
  4. Look for the “Coolest” Roofing Materials
    • By choosing “cool” roofing materials (such as shingles, for example), one can still have an attractive looking roof on their home or business, while reflecting more heat away from the property than traditional systems. As they’re designed to keep a home or business cooler, using these materials will help one save money in energy costs and help to reduce urban heat island effect!
  5. Install the Most Durable Roofing System Available
    • At the end of the day, the most important job of a roofing system is to protect a home or business from the elements and keep it dry. Although it may be tempting to take the cheapest option, it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone—it won’t fix your problems. Instead, investing in an entire roofing system (leak barriers, underlayment, shingles, etc.) is important because all of these components work together to protect a property. Taking the initiative to make these home repairs will increase energy efficiency, while saving you money in the long run!

Last but not least, it’s always important to work with an experienced and knowledgeable roofing contractor on your home improvement projects. Not only are the professionals trained to install roof and siding systems properly, they will be able to answer all of your energy efficiency questions as well.  (With over three generations of experience in the industry, Style Roofing is here to help you!) By using our tips listed above, your property will do its part to save the environment and keep the green in your wallet!

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