4 Great Reasons to Go Green on Your Roof

Green roofing, put simply, is a living, vegetative roof covering. It is a contained human-made green space. By replacing roofing shingles or tiles with well-irrigated, well-drained soil or other growing media, along with selectively chosen plants, you can not only reduce your home's environmental footprint, but save yourself a little green as well. In fact, the benefits of green roofing are numerous:

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1. Green roofing extends the life of your roof. While here in the U.S., green roofing has been slow to catch on, it's been used in Europe for decades, with much success. Experts suggest that green roofs can at least double, if not triple, the life of your roof.
2. It can help you save money. In general, people have been hesitant to embrace green roofing in this country because of its high initial costs (which can range from $9-$40 or more per square foot), not to mention the stringent installation requirements. But a 2003 study by the Seattle Office of Sustainability and the Environment says that its own green roof is helping them to save $148,000 per year. Another study for the City of Chicago suggests that reductions of up to 50 percent on cooling costs and 25 percent of heating costs were possible with green roofs. Combine that with the extended life of a roof, cutting back on roofing repair costs, and you can see that your savings are significant.
3. Green roofing reduces stormwater runoff. The U.S. is beginning to join Europe in developing laws aimed at mitigating stormwater runoff. The U.S. Environment Protection Agency estimates that the average city block generates roughly five times as much runoff as a wooded area of the same size. This water deflection overburdens sewers and infrastructure features. A green roof, however, can retain anywhere from 60-100 percent of that rainfall, making it one way to satisfy increasingly strict mitigation regulations. This combined with its energy-saving benefit is why green roofing adds points in three categories in the LEED certification process.
4. Green roofing is beautiful roofing. By enhancing the natural view (or obscuring unsightly features), green roofing adds to the visual appeal of a home or other building. In fact, many high-rise apartments and hotels charge higher rents to rooms with green roofing views. They blend unobtrusively with nature, can be tremendously versatile in design, and provide additional space for retreat.

Consult a roofing contractor to determine whether green roofing is a good choice for your home.