Roofs are a necessity in our everyday lives. They provide us with shelter and insulation in both our homes and in our work places. They are what make a home safe and comfortable. The general public probably doesn?t know what is involved with the design and then the building of a roof. Roofing materials vary greatly, depending on type, size and durability. They range in pricing and in environmentally friendly supplies. They are even placed differently, as newer and safer ways to lay a roof are continuously discovered.

Roofing is very important in insulating a home or a commercial building. It keeps cool air in the home during hot weather and heat in the colder temperatures. Different roofing materials can help with insulating by using different materials. For example, the coolest roofing materials reflect more than 65% of sunlight and heat, absorbing 35% or less of the energy from the sun. This decreases the need for air conditioners or central air units. Additionally, installation of reflective metal roofing can save your home up to 40% in summer cooling energy costs while highly emissive metal roofs can reduce urban air temperatures by as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Simply choosing the right roofing material could result in as much as a 30% decrease in your home?s energy needs.

General contracting companies should keep in mind the different types of roofing materials that are available to a home. Commercial construction contractors should be prepared to provide property managers and home owners with the pros and the cons of different types of roofing materials. They should understand the difference between Energy Star Certified roofs, solar roofing panels and other types of environmentally friendly roofs. Home construction contractors need to always keep the environment in mind, ensuring that each newly built home is also good for the environment.

Since there are so many homes built before many of the advances on roofing materials, people may be hesitant to replace their roofs for this reason alone. A roof repair is a great time to update the roofing materials that are used. The newer, higher efficient roofing materials may increase the insulation of the home, and decrease the home heating and cooling costs. A full roof replacement also opens up the option to upgrade to better roofing materials.

There are many benefits and advantages to upgrading different areas of the home to make them environmentally friendly. The roof is one of these home upgrades that can make a huge difference for the environment. It can also provide many benefits to the homeowner or the property owner by reducing utility bills and keeping the home or office more comfortable.