You don’t have to choose a fancy new-age material for your roof shingles in order to be eco-friendly. There are many classic shingle materials that the eco-conscious have just realized have smaller carbon footprints than other materials. You can find two such examples of these below.
Wood Shingles
While many modern-day shingle materials are made of nonrenewable resources (that is, resources that can be used up), the same isn’t true of wood shingles. In addition, while wood materials can’t be recycled, they are biodegradable. Then there is the matter of how well they perform in controlling a home’s temperature. As wood is an isolating material, it can keep the cold out of your home. If you choose a lighter wood, it can reflect the sun’s heat off and keep the inside of the home cool. Both of these benefits will allow you to use less energy.
Clay Shingles
Another material that you can consider when looking for eco-friendly shingle materials for residential roofing Chesapeake VA is clay. Clay may not be ‘renewable’ per se, but it is far more plentiful than many other roofing style options. In addition, unlike wood, it’s recyclable. That’s also not where the eco-friendly benefits end. Clay is not only able to reflect sunlight back into the sky (which, as we learned earlier, helps keep a home cool), but it is also able to release heat easily. Also, the heaviness of the material acts as an excellent insulator for the home. So, like with wood, you can use less energy in heating and cooling your home.
So if you don’t want to sacrifice a rustic look in order to be eco-friendly, go ahead and try these options. This way, you can brag to your friends about being eco-conscious and not have them cringe at the fact that your Victorian-style home has ill-suited solar shingles.