I .REENf.EM.DELTNG

GreenRoofirgOptions

Homeowners shouldconsider a number of

factors when choosinga roofing material

BY KIM MASTERAND DAVID JOHNSTON

o determine whatmakes a roof green, wemusr first consider

what a roof does. Firsr. and pri-marily, roofs keep rain landsnow) off our heads and otfthe walls of our houses; scc-ond, they keep us safe fromfire; third, they add to thecurbside appeal of our homes;fourth, they collect water for

landscapes; and finally, roofspror-ide remperature abarement.

]deallr: qreen rooting mareri_als. u'hich are berrer fbr c,urhealrh rnd tbr rhe e nvironnrenr.ri ould provitle eli r lr e ,-, i;he .tbeneflrs. But ir 's nor .i | i .ar.i rharsimple. Ol ierr rool l r rs r l r . r rworks well in Florida is not agood option for a home in Col_orado. Roofing is one of the

mosr climare-specific materialsfbr building, so you need roprioririze vour requirements.rnd n.rake decisions based on$ h;: '.'.-ru \\';nt .r roof to do for','tr

-. I ]t tr lt : .

COMPARINGROOFING OPTIONSWhen choosing a roof.ing nrate_rial, its important to consider allthe options available, as well asyour climate, your home'srequirements, and health andenvironmental issues. Someroofing materials contain car-cinogens that can affect rhehealth of a home's occupanrs.Another concern is re-roofing,which accounrs for 78 percenrof the total annual roofing dol-lars spent in the United States.Re-roofing is not only expen-sive, but can send used roofingmaterials to landfills, where they

A Tile is adurable,fire-resistantroofing optionthat adds to ahome's curbappeal.

{ Metalroofing is easyto install, and itis fireproof,lightweighr andlong-lasting.In addition, itprovides rigidityto the structure.

GREEN REMODELING

can oflgas pollutants and leach toxinsinto the soil and groundwater.

Here's a quick rundown on todaysroofing oprions with recommenda-tionson which ones might be best foryour nome:

. 1s-year asphalt shingles. Fornumerous reasons, this rype of roofingmaterial is not a good option. Shorr-lived asphalt shingles are a bad use ofoil and are rarely rerycled. They areamong the most disposed-of buildine

materials. Tbxic volatile organic com_pounds (VOC$ will off-gas fromasphalt as rhe sun heats it; these VOCscan then enrer rhe living space throughdoors, windows and vents.

. 50-year recycled-contentasphalt shingles. At the very least.look For recycled-contenr asphalr shin-gles thar contain recycled or reclaimed-material slag in their aggregare surface,thereby reducing waste of raw materialsduring *re roofing process. This inex-pensive, hail-rated roofing material willlast 50 years instead of 15, resultine inless waste senr ro landfills and minimiz-ing the hassle of roof replacement. Forany rype of asphalt shingle, nwer drinkwater rhar comes offthe roof or use itfor any rype ofwater catchment.

{ Roofingtiles can bemade toresemble otherpopular typesof roofingmaterials,includinghand-splitcedar shake,shown here.

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. Lead-free metal roofing. l\,letalroofing is nrarle florn copper, steel or, t lurninlrnr. -Son-rc prt,drrets contrr in u1-r

to 100 pcreenr reelclccl r latcr irr l , anc-l

Ino\t ! . ln be crtsi lv recrclcc' l . N4crlr l

looi ir .rg is casl ro insrel l . and i t is frrc-

proof, l ighnve ight ancl krng last ing.

. \ l 'o. r r r ] i l ic ; r l l , , r l rc l lo,r l jn{ r r r . r tcr i ; r1, .

rnetr i l roofi provit le r igr( l in. \ lcral is

thc n.tost f ;rr-orlrblc rootrnq nrrrtcr i ; t l

rrsc. l f i rr r i l in\\ ' i t tcf crrtc]rrrrcrrr svsrelns.

In I ror thern c l intrrrcs. 'nLlr teacl i lv

t l i . l . . , , l f t t tc t . r ] I r r r r l . . ' r ' . r .n(r t to

Synthetic slate is l ighter thanquanied slate, maintenance free,and hai l- and wind-resistant.Incredibly durable, i t can last 40to 50 years.

t lanrrrgc gaurccl bl icc r l i rnrs. \ letal

roofinq eonti : in ntanv shrrpes and

sn' les, inciLr. l in! ;r ;111615. shingles,

shi*cs ancl t iLc'. a:. .el l rrs rr n-idc range

of colors aurl p.rr i ! .r .n,. l lecrrusc the

nretel is thin :rn11 t i i re, nor l-r .n.e hcar,

holcl ing cap:rcitr . nrcr.Ll r , , ,r t i clo nor

r l ldi lrre lrs ntuclt LLlr\ i , i i r i (r l hclrr into

the rt tr ic as asphrrl t shing,.. . L'sing r l

rv l . r i re prr inted or g.r l r . rn i r . .1 i ln ish on

the nretrt l rvi l l f i rr ther t l rr ,r ;r hcrrt r tu av

l i r ,nr t l r . r , r , r t ' l r r r t l . ru: , . r r . r l r . . l . ,un-

r i . lc . rn. ' r l i l rot , l i r rs r . r r . , . . \ l 'crr , r r t .

. Fiber-cement composite roofing,Fiber-cerrent is n-rarle oi l )orr l i rnd

cenre lr t . sand, clev ancl ivood f iber.' l 'he

procltrct n'pical lv crrrr ics rr 5O-r 'crrr

\ \ .1|r l l | ) n. l - i I rcr - t r t r r r .n t L ( ) rn l ) ( )s i l ( .

roofing is durable. f i rcproof and rco,-

el . r l r l t . I l r i r nr t r l ing,rr . , rcr i . r l t , rn l rc

rerrdi lv used or.r sranclard loof srnrc-

tLrres. Fibcr-ccn)cnt conrpositc slates

or shrrl<es iu'c not recclnrrncncled in

northerr l regions or tr I t igh alt i rrrcies

bccarrse thev do rurr pclf i rrrr u'el l in

freczc-thau' cl inrrrtcs or in Irai l-pronc

afcits. I ieep ir t nr incl thi l t \1)Lr ci lnnot

urrlk on flber-cerlcnt roofinq. rrr.rcl ir

crrn bc cliflicLrlt and expcnsive to lcplrrcc.. Clay t i le, ( l lav r i le is r l t r rablc,

i r t tr i lct ivc artd vcrr, populrrr in plrrccs

Iike ( lal i l i rrnia encl rhc Soutlr lr 'esr.

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r:t' .'ttffiI GREEN REM.DELING

0nce you've settled on

a roof ing mater ia l , keep

these points in mind

dur ing instal lat ion:. Roofing is merely

aesthetic cladding to ahouse; the real protection

is provided by asphalt-

impregnated felt paper.

However, the felt paper is

saturated with oil, which

can be toxic in landfi l ls,

so get the 30-pound

AB0VE: Use durable30-pound felt paper,

which will have to bereplaced less often.RIGHT and BELOW:Flash places where

two planes intersectlike roof hipsand valleys.

var iety, which wi l l lastlonger and need to bereplaced less of ten.

. Roof f lashing is v i ta l .When y',ater strikes thehouse. i t must have ap0srttve way t0 move

away from the structure.Instal lers should f lashplaces r'vhere two planes

intersect, l ike roof hips

and val leys, as wel l as

openings for chimneys,

pipe penetrat ions andskylights.

. Roof overhangs alsohelp direct water awayfrom your home. Over-hangs can be sized tosui t the solar condi t ions

in your region, providing

shade in the summer

whi le al lowing maximum

heat entry in the winter.Typically, 18- to 24-inch

overhangs are best.

. Gutters also provide

positive roof runoff, but

the downspouts are

often too short at the bot-

tom elbow. ldeal ly, gut-

ters should disperse

water 3 feet away from

the house.

26 SIVART HOIVEOWNER

The corrugated design has a coolingeffect on the roofing sysrem, since air isable to flow around it. However, hailcan shatter clay tile, so it is not the bestoption for northern climates. It's alsofairly expensive. You cannot walk on it

A MonierLifetiles Espana tile,designed to reflect the classic styleand distinctiveness of Spanish archi-tecture, is pafticularly popular in theSoutheast and Southwest.

to repair it easily, and it does not workwell u' ith solar applications.

. Cast-concrete tiles. Cast-con-crere riles are fire-resistant and iooksimilar to f.iber cemenr roofing. How-ever, they are heavier rhan fibercement, so exrra srructural work isrequired. Their color rends to fadeover dme, and freeze-rhas.cvcles candamage the tiles unless thev arespecifically formulated ro u'irhstandit. The tiles tend ro sharter in hail andare expensive to buy and insrall.

. Slate. Slate is minimallyprocessed cur or split rock. It creares adistinctive look and is incrediblydurable. Not only does it have a goodfire rating, but properly installed slateroofs can last 100 years or more withonly minor maintenance. \X4rat!

more, it can easily be reclaimed and

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reused on new building projects.Keep in mind thar slate comes onlyfrom mid-Atlantic and Northeasternstates, as well as from Europe; there_fore, depending on where you live,transportation cosrs can make thematerial expensive.

. Gedar shake. Many in the green_building industry discourage the use ofcedar shake because the cedar is oftenharvested unsustainably. Although fi re-resistant coadngs do exist for cedarshake roofing, in general it is a seriousfire hazard, making ir an expensiveoption, if not illegal in many areas.

. Becycled synthetic shingles.These expensive recycled rubber andplastic shingles offer an alternative tosuch roofing materials as cedar shingles

and shakes, natural slate, clay or con-crete tiles and standing-seam meralroofs. Arributes include durability(guarantees range from 40 to 50 years),excellent hail and wind resistance, andgood seismic and sound insulationperformance. Insurance companies inseveral states have responded ro theirsuperior hail and wind resistance byoffering discounts ro homeowners whoinstall recycled synthetic shingles.

. EPDM rubber. EPDM (ethylenepropylene diene monomer) rubber isone of the most common types of low-slope roofing material in dre United

{ Designedto look liketile butmade of stone-coated steel,MetroTile lrom Metro Roof productsis light and strong, as well ascrack-and wind-resistant.

States, primarily because it is relativelyinexpensive and simple ro install. Dur_ing and after installation, it doesntrelease odors and fumes, as some other

rypes of roofing materials do, whichappeals ro many homeowners.

. Modified bitumen. Modifiedbitumen is asphalt that has hadmodifiers added to it ro give it plas-tic or rubberJike properties. Thisfairly sophisticated roofing materialcomes in rolls and is primarily usedfor slope roofing.

. Hot asphalt. Although it's inex-pensive, durable and easily repaired,

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28 SMART HOMEOWNER

this is not a great roofing material.

Ag"i., it's a bad use of oil, the installa-

tion process is highly toxic and it

requires frequent maintenance to pre-vent ultraviolet sunrays from breakingit down.

. Building-integrated photo-voltaics (BIPV). These new roofingsystems are coated with a film that

converts sunlight into electriciry. The

shingles or tiles snap together, and the

electrical current flows at the edge of

the roof The shingles look like slate

or can be applied to standing-seam

steel. After the roofer installs the tiles,

an electrician connects the roofsys-

tem to the home's electrical system.

Each 100 square feet ofBIPVgener-

ates about 1 kilowatt of electriciry

which is not thar much relative to

solar panels, making it an expensive

form of solar electriciry.. Green roofs. As the name implies,

these truly "green' roofs are planted

with vegetation. Also known as "living

roofs," they are protected-membrane

roofs with soil and plantings (as well asinsulation) installed above the mem-

brane. These systems are encouraged

and even subsidized in Europe because

they reduce flooding risls and cooling

needs. Thev can derain over half therainwater fiom a npical storm, reduc-

ing often-high loads placed on sewer

systems after rainfall. In addition, a

green roof can be a wonderful architec-

tural element that absorbs carbon

dioxide and helps reduce building heat

gain and urban heat islands.

However, these multilayered greenroof systems are thicker and heavier

than conventional roofs. Therefore, rheroofstructure needs to be engineered

to accommodate the increased weightof the roof It must also be wateredintensely, and it's expensive.

As you can see, choosing the right

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roof for your home can be a compli-cated process. But by waluating all theoptions available, considering yourlocation and climate, and keeping inmind health and environmental con-cerns, you can make sure your finalselection is a wise one.

Kim Master is a senior rtssociate atWafsWorhinglnc., a Bouldet Cob.-based greenhuildrng consulancy Dauid

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