Consider yourself an energy efficiency and sustainability advocate? You’ve probably already looked into the benefits of metal roofing and other home design features – but there’s never been a better time to make the leap and shrink your carbon footprint. Just check out these essential green facts from Metal Roof NJ

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To begin with, even before it starts shrinking your utility bills and drastically cutting down on your energy dependence, metal roofing is already a green product. Sustainability in construction is a huge trend in home design these days, and metal roofing provides just that. The right metal roofing company that abides by the green building movement will provide homeowners roofing containing at least 25 percent recycled content. Furthermore, when your metal roof is ready to go – and no worries, that won’t be happening for decades longer than asphalt lasts – it’s fully recyclable. Metal roofing is also significantly greener than competing materials. Concrete has only 3 percent recycled content, and asphalt is a major contributor of waste. In fact, each year 1.3 billion pounds of asphalt shingles end up in landfills.

Once you install metal roofing, you can begin seeing the energy-efficiency benefits. Because metal roofing has the highest solar reflectance of any roofing product, it can decrease the overall surface temperature of your roof. This can lead to a decrease of up to 40 percent in annual energy bills. Plus, your home is cooler and more comfortable, especially during sweltering summer temperatures.

Looking for some other eco-friendly home design features? Try these in and around your home.

Smart window design
Windows, like roofing materials, have come a long way. Investing smartly in well-made windows that aim for energy efficiency can save you money and reduce your energy dependency in the long run. Consider how inter-pane insulation can keep cool air front leaking out, or look into special window designs that keep out UV rays while flooding your rooms with natural light.

Savvy landscaping
While windows and roofs have come a long way, there are plenty of old fashioned tricks that still work just as well as they did hundreds of years ago. One of these is to integrate the surrounding flora into your energy efficiency plan. During the summer, trees and bushes fill out and can block sunlight where you need it most – by your windows. Plant a few trees nearby your windows as an investment in your home’s eco-friendly future.

Water conserving design
As the home design site, The Nest, reported, alongside sustainable building materials, energy-efficient architectural choices and alternative energy options, homes can be built to manage and conserve water, another essential resource that’s not to be wasted. This includes landscaping that catches rainwater and feeds it to gardens or lawns – thus negating the need for sprinklers. It also includes interior options, like low-flow toilets and other water-saving home appliances, including dishwashers.

Metal Roofing News brought to you by Global Home Improvement, the Tri-State’s Leading Home Remodeler. For your Free Estimate call 1-215-953-5151 today!