When’s the last time you took a really good look at your roof? Do you even know what type of roof you have? What color is it? What’s it made of? Home improvement experts recommend that homeowners inspect their roofs annually to identify and address problems early, before serious damage is done. Your roof protects all the valuables in your home, most importantly, your family. Therefore, choosing the right roofing material is a critical decision.
The majority of homeowners choose traditional asphalt shingle roofs without thinking about their environmental impact. Many consumers are surprised to learn that their asphalt shingle roof is a petroleum product that further increases dependency on fossil fuels. The typical asphalt shingle roof has to be replaced approximately every 20 years, making it a short-term solution with a long-term environmental impact. According to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), asphalt shingles contribute 1.36 billion pounds of waste to landfills every year.
A better option is a sustainable metal roof that features significant recycled content. Metal roofs often outlast the home they’re on, require no maintenance and are 100% recyclable at the end of their useful life. As an added bonus for re-roofing projects, metal roofing can often be applied over the original roof, saving removal and disposal costs and reducing landfill waste.
Metal roofing is also on the leading edge of technology with a wide variety of finishes, designs and colors that provide greater energy savings compared to most other non-metal roofing products on the market today. Metal roofs resist cracking, shrinking and eroding and stand up to hail, high winds and wildfires.