Construction and remodeling have never had a greater focus then on sustainability and energy than it does today. The primary reason for this is that we are now centering on how to save or create energy and the focus on durability of materials is centered around not only lessening our environmental impact but also because of its practicality. One of the main economic issues in our country today is a lack of available skilled labor. With college being the default as a degree is required for most jobs now there is a lack of students enrolling in trade school or apprenticing for a craft or other skilled position such as plumbers, electricians, and contractors. This in turn has made it more important than ever for homeowners to select building materials that will stand the test of time rather than something that needs frequent maintenance or must be replaced every few years. The best way to solve this issue is to use materials that have a longer lifespan (e.g. Metal Roofing as opposed to Shingles). In short if you are in the metal roofing business, you’re in the energy business as well.
A residential roof is one of the largest components of a home or any building structure for that matter. Thus, this component is an essential aspect of a home’s energy performance. When looking for a new roof or to construct a building your first question should be what can save me the most energy? How will you save energy on a roof? What is the best material for a roof to save energy?
There’s no doubt you’ve heard about the importance of making a building “green” by harnessing energy. While this is a valid point it does not negate the fact that at the end of the day the best way to have a positive impact on energy supply is to reduce the need for it in the first place. For every unit of energy in which demand is reduced that is energy that does not have to be generated or created in any way shape or form. Rather than focusing on harnessing energy through any of the various avenues available it is best to do everything within your power to reduce your home’s consumption of energy. Metal Roofing does exactly that.
Did you know that a Metal Roof can reduce household utility costs by as much as 20% and in some cases even more? Listed below are 6 ways that Metal Roofs reduce energy costs.
- Metal Roofs have reflective properties that deter radiant heat away from the household.
- Metal Roofing materials are highly recyclable. In some instances, the recycled materials content is as high as 95%. Embodied energy (sum of all energy required to produce a good) is significantly less in recycled metal than that of virgin metal.
- Metal Roofing has a low weight which means that far more of it can be freighted by truck versus shingles and tiles which are much heavier, thus savings are increased on freight and less resources are consumed to transport the component.
- Metal Roofing is perfect for installation over insulated roof decks and conditioned attic spaces because they are not in any way debased by the inability of heat to permeate them.
- Metal Roofing is incredibly durable and long-lasting. Able to withstand harsh elements including Hail, High-Grade Winds, Snow, Fires, Pests, and ultimately time itself. Other materials however must be replaced periodically. Each time a component is replaced that is energy from the component production itself, fuel and labor for freighting it, and labor to install.
- Metal Roofing is vented easily, this helps expel heat from attic space which reduces the need for more AC usage in turn lowering utility costs.