ROOFING: Grass roof?? Here are more practical eco-friendly roof materials!

What can you do for roofing that is a bit greener and eco-friendly?  Performing a Google search will have you growing Kentucky Bluegrass on your rooftop.  I don’t know what neighborhood or climate that is practicle in,  but I haven’t seen a house growing a lawn on their roof around our offices here in California.  So we decided to highlight some green alternatives that are more in line with familiar, traditional, and practical roofing options that we are most familiar with — the shingle roof.

Fiber-Cement Composite Roofing
Fiber-cement roofs are long lasting, fireproof, and often use recycled wood fiber in their composition.  At the end of the life of this product, it can be ground up into sand so it is recyclable.  According to sources, these roofs do well in wet or humid areas, but not so well in freeze-thaw climates - check with the manufacturer for where their warranties apply.   

         

Re-Con Building Products
Naturals product fall under two brands, Rustic Shake and Quarry Slate.  These cement composite roofing products are simulated shake and slate products respectively.  Both products carry a 50-Year Limited Warranty, and they are warrantied against wind damage, breakage, and appearance - read the details of Naturals’ warranty.  The products have a high concentration of recycled materials in their ingredients.  All carry a Class A Fire Rating, Class IV Hail Rating, and a wind rating up to 200 mph.  Their products are resistant to moss, mildew and of course termites.  No maintenance is required with this roofing material according to Re-Con  Re-Con is a subsidiary of Stone Mountain Holdings.   

 

Metal Shingle Roofing (yes metal shingles)
Metal shingles have a high concentration of recycled materials that contribute to the eco-friendliness in the roofing category.  These shingles have come a long way in their resemblance to wood, tile and stone.  In most cases they are light weight and can be applied over two layers of asphalt that may exist on your roof already - saving tear-off, installation and the landfill waste (National Association of Home Builders Research Center reports 20 Billion pounds of asphalt shingles are dumped into U.S. landfills each year).  And noise?  The roofs are designed in a way so that noise should not be a concerns (if you thought it was going to sound a bit like that awning roof you may have encountered). 

  

Steel and aluminum roofs claim to be cooler solutions for your home as they reflect the sun and send the heat back, rather than absorbing it into your home.  The Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) overseas an independent rating process that provides a means for direct comparison of roofing products.  The higher the CRRC reflectance and emittance ratings, the more “cool” a product is considered to be.  When you read their product directory you will want to look for the producs with ratings closer to 1.0.  

A Cool Roof can cut down on air conditioning, thus energy usage.  CRRC quotes studies where energy savings from AC range from 10-30%.  Many states offer REBATES for Cool Roofs by the way.  Below we provide you with a manufacturer of steel, aluminum, and copper shingles

Tamko METALWORKS Steel Shingles
The MetalWorks name covers three brands of Tamko steel shingles:  AstonWood (cedar look & feel), StoneCrest (slate look & feel), StoneCrest Tile (tile look & feel).  All cover a limited 50-year warranty.  The CRRC ratings for MetalWorks Shingles can be found on the CRRC website product directory.

Classic Metal Roofing Systems
Classic claims their roofs reduce attic heat by up 34%, and this Energy Star partner has homeowners who have reported savings of up to 20% on energy costs.  The aluminum roofing products can be made from 95% post-consumer recycled material.  The Classic roofs have past wind rating tests of 120 mph.  Stand behind their product?  Classic supplies a limited LIFETIME warranty, with a limited 40-year homeowner transferrable warranty.   The company offers video comparisons of their products vs. Asphalt, Wood, and Clay roofing options.  See their roof comparison.

Zappone Manufacturing
Manufacturers of copper shingles and aluminum shingles.  They claim to be the only manufacturer of copper shingles to have been tested to withstand 110 mph winds.   Both the copper and the aluminum shingles are 100% recyclable if they were ever removed, and the company tells GetWithGreen.com that their copper offering is made from 85% recycled materials, and the aluminum is made from 100% recycled material!  As far as copper shingles, Zappone only produces shingles for 400 copper roofs each year in an effort to maintain top quality.    Testing has been done on their products and there is no harmful effect of run-off from these roofs.  Zappone contacted GetWithGreen.com directly to inform us that pricing for their products is as follows:  Copper shingles, flashing, nails, and freight average $1,120 per square (100 square feet), and aluminum averages $300 per square.

In an upcoming article, GetWithGreen.com will discuss a few other options.  For now, let our audience know if you have any comments or roofs over your head built with the materials above!!

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