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When you think about the green lifestyle, you will probably think about buying local produce or reducing your energy consumption or maybe cutting down on driving. All of these are great ideas, but there are a few others that could have a real impact and you’ve already got the foundation to start: your roof.
Your roof is an ideal part of your house for optimizing to make your lifestyle greener and more efficient. Because we just think about our roofs when it’s time to replace them, it is easy to see how this bit of prime square footage can be so overlooked.
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Replace Shingles with Longer Lasting Materials
Most roofs will need replacing every 15-20 years depending on your location and how the weather works out. But because roofs can be so expensive, if you can use better, more resistant materials to clad the roof you could be investing in a much longer term option to defer the costs in the future.
To see whether you could benefit from a different type of roof, arrange for a roof inspection in Fort Collins CO and find out more about the different materials you can use and when you will have to replace. There are lots of greener alternatives like sedum roofs on flat roofs that could benefit you and the environment so it is worth considering a change of look too.
Water Collection
If you live in a rainy area, how much rain do you think falls on your roof, plunges down the guttering and goes into the sewer network as a total waste? Actually, it’s enough to supplement your own water consumption, and even to cover all your water needs from grey water for appliances to drinking water straight from the tap.
If you have ever wanted to live an off-grid lifestyle, being able to supply your own water is vital. All you need to do is get a big water tank and bury it in the garden. Your sloped roof will naturally drain water down the guttering and into this tank for treatment. And, if you plant around the tank, you won’t even know it’s there.
Solar Panels
The real stalwart of the off-grid lifestyle, solar panels are gaining traction around the world as they provide clean, green energy without causing a blot on the landscape or producing any noise. Like the water collection, the solar panel can supplement your energy consumption, but it is also capable of powering your whole house.
A north facing roof is best as it will be exposed to daylight from dawn to dusk, but if you have a flat roof, the solar panels can easily to angled for the best light. Some people think that solar panels are ugly, but how often do you really look at your roof anyway? If it is a problem, then keep an eye on Tesla Roofs, which offer resistant shingles as well as solar tiles that completely blend in. yet another example of a green technology you just wouldn’t know was there.
