Posted on April 14, 2022 by Phillip Camerer

Last month, we talked about composite roofing, noting how eco-friendly that roofing material is for your home. So this month, we continue our discussion focused on popular environmentally conscious roofing options.

There is a litany of environmentally conscious roofing options. But with literally hundreds of ecologically conscious phrases, like eco-friendly, it can be arguably confusing when we start using phrases like green or sustainable. So let’s define a few of these terms first.

Eco-friendly vs. Sustainable vs. Green

There are so many ecological and environmental terms that it can become confusing. Unfortunately, the news media latches onto buzzwords, often created by journalists. But then there are the innovators, trendsetters, and marketing gurus that have long contributed to industry buzz terms.

So, for the next minute or two, let’s agree to use these three terms—eco-friendly, sustainable, and green—as defined and explained below.

Eco-friendly Roofing

Since we are talking about roofing products, we will use the eco-friendly phase with low environmental impact. Many eco-friendly manufactured products come from recyclables or raw materials that will impact the environment less over time.

There are two eco-friendly and equally popular roofing types that many homeowners and business owners gravitate toward—clay tiles and metal roofing. Unfortunately, neither holds up well in some of our unpredictable weather conditions in the four-state region, like hail.

Metal roofing is highly appealing as a recyclable material. The material can help reduce the energy used in your home with extraordinary longevity of 50 years or more as an eco-friendly option.

Sustainable Roofing

For our purposes in discussing environmentally sound roofing options, we will use the phrase sustainable roofing as an environmental innovation that can, by design, withstand the test of time.

Some forms of sustainable roofing we talked about last week with composite roofing material.

Clay tiles are a sustainable roofing option for homeowners and some business owners in the four-state region. By sourcing raw material to manufacture clay tiles, the product gains the auspicious label of being sustainable.

Green Roofing

Here’s a word that gets thrown about quite a bit—green. The very idea of green conjures up the notion of many things, like green living. Instead, we will be talking about green roofing in terms of a living roof.

But as a fun alternative innovation for those DIYers and homesteaders out there looking for an extension of sustainable and eco-friendly options, a green roof is an excellent way to control your home’s energy, reduce your overall carbon footprint, and grow crops.

The basic concept is to source vegetation and grow mediums locally. For example, there are two different roofing installations. One is a large integrated roof style; the other comes together using modular trays. Both forms use the same growing mediums: heavy soils, aeration for plant roots, and mineral aggregates with good drainage.

Source Locally for Environmental Roofing

When it comes to environmental roofing innovations, the industry is growing and expanding rapidly. But there’s never a shortage of options. So if you’re looking to improve your home or business sustainability and what to save on your long-term energy costs, contact the team at Phillip Camerer Roofing. They will help you explore your options.