How Roof Replacement Can Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

An aging, damaged roof can cause many problems in your home, including catastrophic water damage and widespread mold and fungal growth. Roof repairs and re-roofing projects can counteract some of the damage caused by wind, weather, and time, but eventually an aging roof can no longer be repaired effectively and must be replaced.

Having your home's roof stripped away and replaced entirely usually represents a significant investment, but it can also be a unique opportunity. Having your old, worn-out roof replaced with modern roofing materials can be one of the most effective ways to reduce your home's energy usage and carbon footprint, making your household significantly greener without forcing you to change your lifestyle.

How can roof replacement make your home more eco-friendly?

Improving Heat Insulation

Keeping your home warm during the winter and cool during the summer can use a significant amount of energy, particularly in larger homes that are located in areas with extreme climates. Heater and air conditioner usage can significantly inflate your home's energy usage, increasing your carbon footprint as well as your energy bills. This problem can get much worse if your home has an aging and/or badly damaged roof. 

Many older homes are fitted with roofing materials that do not meet modern energy-efficiency and insulation standards and can allow excessive heat exchange even if they are fitted with modern insulation materials. Damaged roofing will allow hot and cold air to escape your home through cracks and gaps, forcing your heaters and air conditioners to work harder and to use more energy.

Having your old, damaged roof replaced with energy-efficient roofing materials is one of the most effective ways to massively improve heat insulation in your home. A number of modern roofing materials, such as fiber cement shingles, are many times more effective at insulating heat than traditional materials.

If you prefer the traditional look, clay tiles, slate shingles, and other conventional roofing materials can be used alongside insulated underlays and other materials that boost their insulatory properties. While they will not be as energy efficient as more modern materials, they are still far more effective at preventing heat exchange than older tile or shingle roofing. 

Using Sustainable Materials

Many older roofs are made from materials that, by modern standards, are not environmentally friendly. Examples include asphalt/fiberglass shingles (which contain toxic petroleum products) or timber shingles (frequently sourced from rainforests and other non-sustainable sources). 

While tearing down an environmentally unfriendly roof won't turn back the clock, it can prevent further environmental damage. Having a non-sustainable roof repaired instead of replaced inevitably requires you to use more of the environmentally unfriendly materials. By having your roof replaced with greener materials, you can ensure any future repair work will be equally green.

Preventing Further Damage

If your existing roof is too old and damaged to effectively keep out the weather, moisture will continue to accumulate inside your home for as long as it remains standing. If water damage reaches structural timbers and other vulnerable components, they will have to be replaced.

This naturally creates waste, but it also means that more energy and fossil fuels must be used to manufacture replacement materials. Any replacement materials used to repair water damage will significantly increase your home's carbon footprint.

By fitting an entirely new, eco-friendly roof as soon as you can, you can minimize the damage caused by leaks and sources of water damage, making expensive and environmentally unfriendly repairs unnecessary. Contact a roofing company to learn more about your roof replacement options.