The Need for Eco-Friendly Materials in The Roofing Industry
Dec 26, 2022
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Green roofing is becoming more popular and allows homeowners to turn their roofs into space for growing flora which can only benefit the environment. However, green roofs are costly, often require structural strengthening, and need at least some maintenance.
The result of this is that most homes will continue to use traditional roofing materials, not all of which are eco-friendly.
The world’s roofing materials industry was worth around $120 billion in 2021 and is expected to continue to rise. As manufacturing costs rise, and more residential and commercial buildings are erected, the roofing industry’s revenue will grow. But, at what cost to the environment?
Why is there a need for eco-friendly materials in roofing?
Some materials such as wood can be very eco-friendly, perhaps even the most. However, they need to come from a sustainable source to really cut the grade. Locally produced materials would be preferable for instance.
Like any industry, the manufacturing side of roofing can cause harm to the environment. Some materials such as PVC roofing manufacture lead to the production of dioxins. The amounts may be low, but the EPA has studied dioxins and concluded that they are highly toxic.
Other materials used take hundreds of years to degrade and can leach dangerous chemicals into the ground which ends up in waterways. Some forms of roofing are less energy-efficient than others, and can even contribute non-directly to gas emissions as you will read below.
What roofing materials are eco-friendly?
Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. Searching for a roofing company online and visiting their site will lead to a choice of materials, many of which are sustainable and eco-friendly.
Ideally, roofing materials will be degradable, biodegradable being the optimal choice, or recyclable. While the roofing industry as a whole tends to use only newly manufactured materials, there are some recycled options such as metal.
Some of the best materials for roofing and the environment are as follows:
- Slate
- Metal
- Ceramic
- Wood
- Clay
- Concrete
- Rubber
How the material is sourced and manufactured makes a big difference in what environmental credentials it will have. For instance, wood is biodegradable but not if it has been treated with synthetic coatings. Rubber roofing can be made from recycled tires, and can last for up to 50 years. However, synthetic rubber causes pollution and is petroleum-derived.
Metal roofing lasts up to 70 years, and even then can be recycled for other uses. This makes it one of the best choices for the environment.
Cool roofs or any roof painted white or in a light color can help to cool a home. This makes the need for air conditioning less essential. Rich nations are doubly responsible for gas emissions, and AC units are offenders in this area. Air conditioning uses large amounts of energy and the production of electricity produces greenhouse gasses. Therefore any roofing material that helps to cool a home will save energy.
What is the worst roofing material for the environment?
Asphalt shingles are perhaps the cheapest roofing option, and thus are highly common. Unfortunately, they are a petroleum-derived product, and oil has caused many environmental disasters. They are also non-biodegradable and can take up to 400 years to break down fully. To make matters worse, they aren’t energy-efficient either and they damage easily which means replacing them with more shingles.
PVC roofing has its fans, but the environment is not necessarily one of them. Unfortunately, this material is not biodegradable. Unsustainable practices are used in the process of making PVC, and the material contains many highly toxic chemicals.
Is there any case for using PVC for roofing?
When it comes time to replace your roof you will want to use a material that is going to last a long time. A good return on your investment is to be expected, and PVC has some advantages over other roofing materials.
The advantages of PVC in roofing include its strength, its ability to be used as a cool roof to reflect the sun’s rays, and its life expectancy. PVC roofs can last for perhaps 30 years.
Unfortunately, after that 30 years have passed your PVC roof might take another 400 years or more to degrade fully. Greenpeace calls it the poison plastic, and has even gone as far as to lobby for the end of PVC production. Verified Market Research reports that the PVC market size was over $60 billion in 2021, and sadly it is only likely to grow.
Summary
If certain roofing materials were avoided by the industry there would be the combined benefits of fewer greenhouse emissions, fewer toxic chemicals, and better more sustainable manufacturing processes being used.
There would also be fewer PVC and asphalt shingles slowly breaking down and leaching toxic chemicals into the earth and the water harming the environment for future generations.
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