Regardless of what you believe about climate change (whether it’s happening, whether it’s man-made) there is definitely a greater emphasis now on our environment – and how we behave towards it – than ever before. This has made the decisions that we take in regards to our homes much more complicated than ever before. Take roofing for example. A hundred years ago, a person needing new roofing in Fort Worth, for instance, would have looked at the options open to them locally (i.e. local sources of roofing materials) and the cost and would have made a decision on that basis.
Things now are much more complex. We can buy cheaper and better materials from the other side of the world (and have them delivered, like, yesterday) and we tend to take into account different factors in regards to the cost. The value of our homes, for instance, is a key consideration (in a way it would not have been in the past), we need things to last much longer (we live much longer, for one) and with energy prices rising in the US, we want to consider more heat-saving materials than ever before. It can be difficult then to find a solution to match all our needs.
One option is to go ‘all out’ environmentally. Green roofs are increasingly common and much more environmentally friendly but they require specialized knowledge, regular upkeep and as such, are expensive to implement. For the average person, they are still a step too far and can more often than not be found on flagship projects, e.g. on corporate buildings keen to show off environmental credentials.
If you want to be a little more “green” in your choice, you don’t need to “go” green. You can be greener by choosing your roofing material more carefully. Will you use a local material or one that has a high-recycled content? The Metal Roofing Alliance for example, claims that a metal roof can contain 28% of recycled steel, which it claims is better than the recycled content of asphalt. Moreover, it makes the valid point that metal roofs are often installed over whatever material is currently in situ, meaning that it can save shingles being torn off and placed in landfill.1 There are many other products, however, that use recycled shingle.
It is also key to consider who is installing your roof. Are you using local contractors or a national firm? Both can be just as eco-friendly (or not) but you will need to talk to them to find out. For example, some local contractors will not pay any heed to recycling, some larger firms will not be using local tradesmen but may have solid recycling targets to meet. Whatever decision you make, it is key to look around and find a well-established company with whom you can discuss these key decisions.
Pearson Roofing Company, established since 1979, is able to help you navigate all these modern-day decisions when considering the roofing materials that are ideal for your project. Contact their office which helps in Roofing in Fort Worth TX on 817-261-1811 or Dallas on 972-471-2700 or via their website at.
