THE NATURAL ROOF:
BUILDING AN ECO-LOGICAL HOME
THE NATURAL ROOF:
BUILDING AN ECO-LOGICAL HOME
The Ill-Logics of Petrochemical Roofing
When old roofing is removed from buildings, it is trucked to landfills. Non-biodegradable, petrochemical roofing made of asphalt and fiberglass typically lasts about 20 years, and then is discarded. Roofs such as these that are guaranteed (by the manufacturer) to fail in two decades are also guaranteed to clog landfills year after year after year. According to scientific studies, construction and demolition debris makes up 28% ofthe weight and 28% of the volume of the mixed refuse in landfills, and is much more significant to landfill management policy than styrofoam, fast-food packaging,disposable diapers, and the totality of plastic packaging combined! About one-fifthof all construction debris is roofing waste.
Natural Sensibility
Speaking to sustainability, one critical construction detail that is often overlooked indesign and construction of healthy and environmentally friendly buildings is roofingmaterials. Truly, there are few “sustainable” options when it comes to providing overhead protection from the elements. But there are alternatives to “disposable”roofing such as fiberglass or asphalt shingles. They include wood shingles, ceramictile, and slate (stone). Historically, natural, durable stone roofs were the norm in the eastern U.S. as well as in much of Europe. Although permanent roofs are still the standard in Europe, in the U.S. sadly, many of these roofs are now being destroyed and replaced with throwaway fiberglass shingle roofs. One of the unfortunate consequences of America’s throwaway mentality is the lossof thousands of perfectly good slate roofs, which are ripped off and destroyed by thoughtless roofers who can’t be bothered with recycling anything. The slates are dumped in landfills and the roof is replaced with disposable, petrochemical roofing which is destined to continue clogging landfills indefinitely. American home owners are apparently unaware that natural slate roofs are inherently repairable. Or thatre claimed slate can be used in fabricating a new roof.
From Rock to Roof
The product of millions of years of of sedimentation and geological metamorphosis, roofing slate is composed primary of mica (silicon dioxide) and quartz, two mineralsthat crystallize in thin, easily separated layers. The finished product is a finelylayered stone that can be easily split, somewhat like a deck of cards. Slate isharvested in quarries all over the world: from India to China to Wales and the eastern United States. The color and characteristics of slate vary from region to region. Slate from Vermont and New York may be purple, green, gray, red or black;Canadian and Welsh slate may be black, purple, green, or even blue. Besides the inherent beauty and aesthetic quality of slate, it is extremely durable and long-lived: most slate will last from 55 to 400 years on a roof in the United States.Because the quality and characteristics of slate can vary from quarry to quarry, it isimportant to determine where the slate came from by consulting with a roofing contractor who specializes in slate, if possible. Although the number of individuals specializing in slate roofing has dwindled, there is a growing effort to sustain the seartisans and to help them continue their legacy of craftsmanship. So including a slateroof in the construction of your home means that you are not only preserving a pieceof history, but supporting a centuries-old craft and advocating the use of a benign and sustainable building material.
Building environmentally sustainable homes means adapting their design to include both local and recycled materials. Roofing slate is natural, affordable, salvageable,and recyclable. Recycling hard slate roofs is a good way to get an excellent roof fora new building with an inimitable antique appearance that will last a century. It has alongevity and aesthetic unmatched by any other roofing material available.
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