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18 July 2013

Roofing Contractors Safegaurding The Eco-System With Green Roofing

By Elmarie G. Morring


Property owners and companies alike are constantly searching for ways to decrease energy usage while at the same time living in a more eco responsible way. Many Americans are embracing the concept of reducing usage through the installation of high-efficiency electric devices, boosting insulating material, and lowering unwanted water usage. Even so, one option which does every one of these things is usually seldom looked at as an alternative. Environmentally friendly roofing is amongst the most misunderstood kinds of living in an ecologically responsible fashion.

Also called a living race, a green earth is one in which a homes typical asphalt roof is either partially or fully replaced with living vegetation such as plants. The roof typically contains several layers including an initial rubber layer that is laid against the original roof decking. This protective rubber membrane prevents unwanted leakage of water and soil into the home or business and provides the foundation for the remaining substrate and dirt in which the plants are placed.

Green roofing is definitely popular among both home owners and in organizations alike. Numerous industrial office parks are putting in green roofs as a way to both beautify the work environment and reduce the price of heating and cooling. One of the most well-known natural roofs in America has been installed by Chicago's Town Hall.

However legislative and financial support across much of Europe has made green roofing a popular alternative across the pond for many years. The modern trend for green roofing in Europe started in the mid-1960s, and today it is estimated that as many as one in 10 homes and businesses across Germany have installed green roofing., Some cities in Austria have been paying developers to install green roofs since the early 1980s, and the Swiss have installed federal legislation to make green roofing mandatory.

There are significant environmental upsides to installing a green roof they go a long way to offsetting the initial investment. The roofing material provides substantial insulation sealing in hot or cold air while providing significant protection from the sun. As with all plants, the ones that live on top of a green roof provide a natural filtration and remove harmful particles from our air and water.

There is an indirect advantage to green roofing because standard asphalt shingles, those widely used by roofing companies, are one of the foremost causes of landfill material. The shingles contain petroleum and other dangerous cancer causing agents and can take more than 100 years to biodegrade naturally. They are, by their very nature, made to be incredibly resilient, and this resiliency causes them lasting a long time within our landfills. Completely biodegradable as well as completely natural green roofing offers a wonderful substitute for conventional asphalt shingles.

There are many kinds of green roofs. They range from basic rooftop gardens to extremely extensive ecosystems. The sort of green roofing the home owner or business owner chooses to install is usually based upon the volume of weight the substructure can support. Extensive green roofs may weigh up to 250 pounds for every square foot.

Many traditional roofing contractors will not install a green roof as it takes special training. However for those that do, have them provide a cost benefit analysis to weigh the expense of installing a fully green roof with a long-term benefits in the reduction of energy consumption.

Having a roof above your head is really a necessity, and with the degradation of our planet it might be essential that numerous residences and companies start living in a more ecologically dependable and eco-friendly fashion. Green roofs supply the option to carry out both these simultaneously.




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