Slate shingles are one of the best roofing materials available for a variety of reasons: they are durable, long-lasting, and visually appealing. However, did you know that they can also help boost your home’s energy efficiency?
It’s true; slate shingles are an incredibly practical choice for this reason, as they can help you minimize the amount of energy that you waste. This also means that they can help you cut down on your energy bills, which is always a major plus!
Slate shingles are mined from the earth, and they are one of the very first roofing materials that spread widely across the world. Their popularity increased largely because they are resistant to water, fire, extreme temperatures, weather, mould, and pretty much anything else that you can imagine most roofing materials would struggle with.
However, these days, another major reason why people deem slate shingles to be a top choice when it comes to roofing materials is because of their energy efficiency.
Different types of roofing materials have various thermal conductivity levels, which refers to their capacity to transmit heat. The lower the conductivity level
that a material has, the better insulation that it provides. Slate is known to have the lowest conductivity of all roofing materials.
In the summer, slate shingles remain a few degrees below the air temperature until the sun hits them, and then their temperature significantly increases. In the winter, these shingles remain a few degrees below the air temperature for most of the day.
Since slate shingles are natural insulators, having a roof covered in them could make a big difference in regulating the internal temperature of your home.
Because of their hardness and density, neither warm nor cold air can easily make it through them. So, even on the coldest days in the winter, you will remain warm, and on the hottest days of the summer, you can stay cool.
If energy efficiency is on your list of priorities when it comes to choosing a material for your roof, then you are bound to be impressed by slate shingles, as they are known as a green roofing material because of their energy friendliness. Because of their incredible insulating qualities, slate shingles are also very good at enhancing energy efficiency.
Of course, there are various other relevant factors relating to the rest of your home when it comes to its overall energy efficiency. However, in most cases, you can expect about a 10% increase in efficiency after installing a slate roof.
By using less energy on heating and air conditioning, your energy bill savings will certainly be a nice advantage. Although your savings may not be overwhelming right off the bat, they will definitely add up over time, and since slate shingle roofs last for so long, those savings will likely continue for the rest of your life!
Although extracting raw materials from the ground is likely not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of sustainability, believe it or not, natural slate shingles are still considered a sustainable material. The main reason why slate can be considered sustainable is because it is an abundant and readily available natural material.
Slate is also a mineral product that is completely inert and ecological, and since it is 100% natural, it has a much smaller environmental impact than most other roofing materials.
As well, slate does not need much processing, and its production process does not require the use of any harmful chemical products. Its production also does
not need any other artificial materials or the use of furnaces, further adding to its sustainability.
Since slate shingles are environmentally friendly in all stages of their lifespan, they are a fantastic choice when it comes to sustainable building.
Beyond its ability to boost energy efficiency and its sustainable production practices, there are even more eco-friendly qualities that slate has, which make it the ultimate green building material.
First, since slate has a much higher longevity than other roofing materials, lasting anywhere from 50 to 200 years, it does not need to be replaced very often, thus reducing waste.
Second, slate shingles are recyclable. So, when you do need to eventually replace them, it is not necessary to deal with environmental challenges during their disposal, and they can even be reused in other construction projects.
The eco-friendliness of slate is especially obvious when it is compared to that of other roofing materials, as most of the artificial materials on the market are far from sustainable. For instance, asphalt shingles are incredibly susceptible to
weather damage, metal roofs are prone to dents, and clay and concrete tiles are likely to crack over time.
Therefore, all of these materials need to be replaced much more frequently, making them less sustainable. The production process of these other roofing materials also has a much worse environmental impact and contributes to CO2 production.
With the state of global warming constantly getting worse, and with environmental issues arising more often these days, it is more crucial than ever before for all of us to take responsibility for our actions and to be as eco-friendly as possible.
One way to do so is by paying attention to the sustainability and eco-friendliness of the products and materials that we use, including the materials for building our
homes. When it comes to building roofs, there are several options available, but the most eco-friendly material by far is slate shingles.
Not only do slate shingles make your home more energy efficient by insulating it, but they also are a completely natural material that is processed in a low-impact way. Unlike many other building materials, slate shingles are also long-lasting and recyclable, so they can be considered friendly for the environment at every stage of their lifespan.
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