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Lasting Roofs Mean Lifelong Savings

  • By Brian Lambert
  • 01/01/03

Analyzing the life-cycle costs of alternative roofing solutions is becoming more common, as school administrators and facility managers are increasingly encouraged to look at long-term economic and environmental impact. At the heart of this movement toward sustainable design is a roof’s ability to endure the test of time.

Optimum economic and environmental benefits are achieved when long-term roofing solutions offer additional attributes of sustainable building solutions. When it comes to roofing, sustainability is most often achieved in these ways:

  • through extended service life (20 to 30 years);
  • through the use of recycled materials;
  • through the use of materials that are, in themselves, recyclable;
  • by promoting the more efficient use of energy and other natural resources;

    • and
  • by preserving and renewing our natural resources.

During the last 10 years, traditional, field-proven, modified bitumen roofing technologies have begun to embrace additional characteristics of sustainable design. By incorporating recycled materials, using highly reflective coatings and surfacing materials, and incorporating solar panels for renewable energy, some traditional high-performance roofing solutions are offering increasingly higher returns on initial investment.

For example, the Energy Star® rating represents a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and private companies developing responsible product solutions. The roofing portion of the program promotes energy-savings awareness by establishing uniform performance standard for roofing reflectivity.

Brian Lambert is marketing manager for The Garland Company, Inc. For more information, contact The Garland Company at 800/321-9336 or visit www.garlandco.com.

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