When upgrading to a new roof, many homeowners wonder about the most environmentally friendly roofing material in New England. Sustainability is an important consideration.
After all, you don’t want old roofing waste to take up space in the landfill for decades to come. But what is the most environmentally friendly roofing material in New England?
In this blog, we’ll show you what it means to have a sustainable roof including shingle materials, ventilation, and more.
What Makes Roofing Materials Sustainable?
The good news is that there are eco-friendly roofing materials to consider. The most environmentally friendly roofing material is undoubtedly asphalt shingles. There are several reasons why asphalt shingles are an eco-friendly roofing product, such as:
- Asphalt shingles are incredibly durable against the elements, which means you won’t need to worry about a replacement more than once in your life when you select quality shingles.
- When coupled with the GAF Golden Pledge Lifetime warranty, the lifetime of your roof is about 5 times longer than the typical roofing warranty in New England. Estimated to protect your home for up to 50 years, the warranty applies to labor as well as materials and shingles, which are covered for a lifetime.
Backed by a strong warranty, asphalt shingles become the most environmentally friendly roofing material in New England. After all, they last for nearly an entire lifetime. This is the best way to ensure that old roofing waste is kept out of the landfill!
You can learn more about our product warranties by viewing the video below:
Other Reasons Why New England Homeowners Love Asphalt Roofing
We are big asphalt advocates here at Coastal Windows & Exteriors. Asphalt is one of the best roofing materials for several reasons.
- Asphalt shingles are a cost-effective option for roofing. If you need an upgrade without breaking the bank, asphalt is a no-brainer option.
- You can easily find Energy Star-certified asphalt roofing to help lower your utility bills, especially shingles that are lighter in color.
- Asphalt roofing, when installed correctly, can take a beating from the elements. The asphalt shingles from Coastal Windows & Exteriors can withstand high winds of 130 mph, which begins with the installation of starter strip shingles—the first layer of shingles to go on your roof.
- This type of roof is fast and easy to install, giving you a new durable roof sooner rather than later.
Another advantage of choosing asphalt is the large variety of color options. While vinyl siding is one of the best ways to transform the exterior of your home, a new roof can truly help do the same.
According to Better Homes & Gardens, a dark-colored roof will minimize your home’s mass while downplaying the highest peaks of your roof. Light-colored roofing will make your home look bigger with a taller roof.
Improve Your Carbon Footprint with Energy Efficient Roofing
What makes for an energy-efficient roof? One of the major factors of a worry-free roof installation process is considering ventilation. A properly ventilated roof and attic is key for performance and energy savings.
You will want to ask your roofing contractor if you will need new ventilation and where that will be installed. Typical ventilation for roofing is installed on the soffit and on the top of the roof along the gable.
With ventilation in place, it reduces worry about potential problems such as condensation on rafter beams that can turn into mold, mildew, and even wood rot.
Other Components of an Eco-Friendly Roof
There are several important roof components that you’ll need to know about, and you can find an inclusive list of those by clicking here. The best roofing systems are capable of increasing indoor temperatures and even lowering energy bills.
An energy efficient roof includes several working components such as:
- Adequate ventilation. Homes without proper roof and attic ventilation can result in very high energy bills, especially during the winter and summer. When there is no airflow in the attic, the heat can ultimately damage the roof shingles above. Meanwhile, the air conditioning system is working harder to compensate for the hot attic while your main living area remains cool. When it comes to roof attic ventilation, there are three types of vents: soffit vents, gable vents, and ridge vents.
- Roof deck protection provides a barrier to both water and air infiltration. It protects the home while reducing moisture that can make the attic space humid during the summer months, which can make an impact on your heating and cooling bills.
- Synthetic roof deck protection provides a second layer of protection to defend against roof rot.
- The color of the shingles. Shingle color can impact the temperature of an attic space, even if the roof is otherwise considered energy efficient. Cool roofing reflects the sun’s rays and can make the roof temperature 50°F cooler when the surface reaches 150F°.
The last consideration to keep in mind is how your roofing contractor handles roofing waste when it comes to replacement. Properly recycling asphalt roofing is important to us here at Coastal Windows & Exteriors, which is why we are a certified GAF Certified Green Roofer.
What is a GAF Certified Green Roofer?
The requirements for becoming a GAF Certified Green Roofer are as follows:
- The completion of a sustainability assessment
- Completing the “Asphalt Shingles and the Green Home” course through GAF CZZ
- Joining the local USGBC chapter
- The roofing contractor must complete a quarterly recycling activity report
You can read all about our GAF Green Roofer certification by clicking here.
Get Asphalt Roofing Shingles: An Eco-Friendly Roof Material
What is the most eco-friendly roofing material in New England? It’s asphalt! We provide New England homeowners with quality GAF roofing systems that are engineered with sustainability in mind while lasting a lifetime.
Contact us today to schedule a FREE estimate on eco-friendly roofing.
