Having your home LEED Certified comes with both tax and environmental perks - but aren’t always the easiest to build around when your planning new construction. However, there are a couple of options available to dedicated homeowners.
Sustainable shingles will usually use reclaimed or recycled material, and can even sometimes be cheaper than traditional asphalt shingles! However, most of the time the options are going to be more towards the longer-lived roofs that cost more up front but last a lifetime.
Roof Maintenance Guide
What to do after your roof is finished in order to guarantee it's longevity.
All About Roof Replacements
Learn more about the comprehensive ins and outs of roof replacements
Roof Installation Process
What happens during roof installation and everything that goes into your roof.
Slate and Clay Tile Roofs
This type of roofing is more popular in the western United States, and not so much in the Albany area, but Clay roofs have extraordinary temperature resistance and have lifespans that last well over 100 years, with warranties that match. Even though you’ll certainly get your money’s worth in longevity, the initial price tag for clay is rather expensive.
Plus, in order to qualify as a sustainable roof, we’ll have to source reclaimed tiles rather than newly mined clay.
Metal Sheet Roofs
Popular around Albany, Metal roofs have continued to gain in popularity because they mix an extremely long life span (50-75 years before considering replacement), plus compared to clay they’re cheaper and are easier to install. Rated against asphalt shingles, they will generally outperform against the common snow storms, rain storms and high wind events that frequent the capital region while also keeping the inside of your home cooler during the summer time due to superior insulating abilities.
The biggest thing to look out for when selecting a type of metal roof is just to make sure that the coatings used aren’t toxic. Runoff can cause ground water and soil to become polluted when the coatings on the metal roof aren’t eco-friendly.
Recycled Roof Materials
While initially saying “recycled shingles” sounds puzzling: pictures of old shingles being torn off a roof come to mind, what is really meant by recycled shingles is this: shingles that are made out of materials like plastic, rubber and wood that have been recycled.
These types are actually incredibly durable with very good scoring fire safety scores that are comparable to metal roofs in the fire retardation category. However, these shingles have to be much heavier than traditional asphalt shingles and are much more difficult to install, meaning that they will cost more than the average shingle roof.
Living Roofs - The New Roof Style
While a more recent innovation, they’ve become a lot more common than you’d think. A living roof is basically one that’s covered in grass and other greenery. They’ve been known to lower heating costs, are more lightweight than other traditional solutions and will lost a lot longer than classic style roofs, which are all amazing benefits, even if homes will look like they came from the Shire in Lord of the Rings.
There is one unique twist on living roofs: you will have to actually mow the roof and water it from time to time.
If you are considering a living roof, you’re going to have to consider a couple options:
- Find out what the fire danger rating will be based on a custom estimate because based on the design your homeowners insurance could raise or lower depending on the score.
- Make sure that all building is done to local code to ensure there are no building violations.
For now, living roofs isn’t something we’re equipped to handle properly at Infinite Roofing, but if you’re curious to learn more about it, reach out to us and we can point you in the right direction to learn more.
Pictured Living Roof Is Not Our Work
Infinite Roofing & Construction
25 Walker Way, Ste 2A
Colonie, NY 12205
(office) 518-444-ROOF
(mobile) 518-221-1003
(email) info@infiniteroofingny.com
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