Roofing Atlanta the Eco-friendly "green" Way
There's good news for Georgians who are looking into roofing Atlanta homes. Now the state insurance commissioner's office has approved the first-ever "green" homeowners insurance that guarantees their modified homes will be rebuilt in the same environmentally-friendly way should damage or destruction occur. If homeowners do not have a green house, they can still add-on the Fireman's Fund insurance to compliment their existing policy; so if their house does get damaged, it will be rebuilt with sustainable materials. This makes Georgia the 26th state to adopt the measure. "We hope this will encourage and promote people to be green in their homes," said Commissioner John Oxendine.
So what better time to outfit your home with environmentally-friendly solar panels, recycled building materials or "green" roofing? There are many ways to keep the environment in mind when roofing Atlanta homes.One option is to have your roof painted white. In July 2009, California will mandate sloping residential roofs to be light-colored, cool-roof colors or white, said Arthur Rosenfeld of the California Energy Commission. Perhaps other states like Georgia will follow suit. According to Dr. Hashem Akbari, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a 1,000-square-foot rooftop painted white is equivalent to cutting 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. When light pours down through the atmosphere, it will bounce off the white rooftops and reflect back toward space, therefore keeping the earth relatively the same temperature. If the 360,000 square miles covered by rooftops and pavement were a white or lighter color, enough sunlight would reflect back to space to prevent 44 billion tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and delay climate change by 11 years, his study found. Additionally, white roofing Atlanta homes will cut cooling costs by 20%, which gives a financial incentive for homeowners.
Another "green" option for roofing Atlanta is to choose green roof insulation, which will save you 13% on your energy bills. Instead of fiberglass, consider recycled cellulose fiber (which also acts as a flame retardant), recycled denim (which is flame retardant and treated with Borax to repel pests), soy insulation (which will last the life of the house) or sheep's wool (which is considered one of the best products for its flame retardant, noise-deadening and filtering properties).
Some of the newer roofing Atlanta styles include PhotoVoltaic (PV) roof systems and Garden roofs. California is the third-largest purchaser of 30-year PV solar panel roofs, which are lowering attic temperatures 50% and saving consumers 30% on cooling costs. Garden roofs are more popular in Europe, Asia and on corporate buildings, but some homeowners like the idea of transforming their space into a living, breathing environment.
When choosing materials for roofing Atlanta homes, the eco-friendly consumer will ideally pick asphalt with a white or light tint (at no extra charge) or a slightly more expensive pastel or white tile. A study conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that highly reflective metal materials will reflect 34% more sunlight away from the home, thereby saving home owners up to 40% in cooling costs.
So what better time to outfit your home with environmentally-friendly solar panels, recycled building materials or "green" roofing? There are many ways to keep the environment in mind when roofing Atlanta homes.One option is to have your roof painted white. In July 2009, California will mandate sloping residential roofs to be light-colored, cool-roof colors or white, said Arthur Rosenfeld of the California Energy Commission. Perhaps other states like Georgia will follow suit. According to Dr. Hashem Akbari, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a 1,000-square-foot rooftop painted white is equivalent to cutting 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. When light pours down through the atmosphere, it will bounce off the white rooftops and reflect back toward space, therefore keeping the earth relatively the same temperature. If the 360,000 square miles covered by rooftops and pavement were a white or lighter color, enough sunlight would reflect back to space to prevent 44 billion tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and delay climate change by 11 years, his study found. Additionally, white roofing Atlanta homes will cut cooling costs by 20%, which gives a financial incentive for homeowners.
Another "green" option for roofing Atlanta is to choose green roof insulation, which will save you 13% on your energy bills. Instead of fiberglass, consider recycled cellulose fiber (which also acts as a flame retardant), recycled denim (which is flame retardant and treated with Borax to repel pests), soy insulation (which will last the life of the house) or sheep's wool (which is considered one of the best products for its flame retardant, noise-deadening and filtering properties).
Some of the newer roofing Atlanta styles include PhotoVoltaic (PV) roof systems and Garden roofs. California is the third-largest purchaser of 30-year PV solar panel roofs, which are lowering attic temperatures 50% and saving consumers 30% on cooling costs. Garden roofs are more popular in Europe, Asia and on corporate buildings, but some homeowners like the idea of transforming their space into a living, breathing environment.
When choosing materials for roofing Atlanta homes, the eco-friendly consumer will ideally pick asphalt with a white or light tint (at no extra charge) or a slightly more expensive pastel or white tile. A study conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that highly reflective metal materials will reflect 34% more sunlight away from the home, thereby saving home owners up to 40% in cooling costs.