Making the switch from a traditional asphalt roof can drastically change your home’s impact on the environment. In this day and age, making environmentally conscious choices is easier than ever, but some of those choices involve more thought and work than others. However, the benefit of reducing your carbon footprint cannot be overstated, and your roof is an easy way to change that.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Literal tons of asphalt shingles end up in landfills each year. Landfills cause damage to the ecosystem when humans dispose of things that are not biodegradable, like plastics or asphalt. Because shingles last only a few decades, they are often replaced a few times in the lifetime of a home. When replaced, the old shingles rot away in a landfill.
Metal roofing, however, lasts up to three times as long as a roof made from asphalt shingles. Additionally, metal roofs can be installed right over aasphalt roof n old, shingle roof. This way, the shingles do not end up in landfills, the lifetime of your roof is increased dramatically, and you have done no damage to the ecosystem.
Furthermore, metal roofing panels can be made from recycled materials, including the metal found in cans, cars, or other machines and appliances. Once your house is ready to be torn down, the metal can be further reused as well. Metal roofs never end up in a landfill and the recycling options are limitless!
Energy Efficiency
Even if you remove the recyclability factor from the picture completely, metal roofing still wins as far as environment is concerned. Metal roofing reflects heat from the sun in the warm months, keeping the inside of the home cool. On the other hand, in winter months, metal roofing refracts less of the sun’s energy to help keep the home warmer.
With the help of a metal roof, you can cut your energy bill by as much as half. No other type of roof can heat and cool as effectively as metal, making it an eco-friendly option as well as a cost-effective option. There is no contest between shingles and metal roofing.
A licensed, qualified contractor can help you to make an informed decision while taking into account your specific situation. There are professional metal roofing contractors in Jacksonville just waiting to help you make the switch from shingles to metal, not only to save the environment but also to save your wallet!
