Roofing Company

Sustainable, or "green, " buildings - buildings that are deliberately designed to use natural resources in a way that's environmentally friendly -- are no longer a luxury. They are a good imperative. Consider the facts: According to the National Institute of Building Sciences' Whole Building Design Manual, "On an annual basis, buildings in the United States consume 39 percent of America's energy and 68 percent of its electricity. Furthermore, buildings emit 38 percent of the carbon dioxide (the primary greenhouse gas associated with climate change), 49 percent of the sulfur dioxide, and 25 percent of the nitrogen oxides found in the air. Currently, the vast majority of this energy is produced from non-renewable, fossil fuel resources... "Of the two ways to reduce heating, cooling and lighting loads "through climate-responsive design and construction practices, " the Whole Building Design Manual recommends the use of "high-performance building envelopes: select walls, roofs, and other assemblies based on long-term insulation, and durability requirements. "One of the most sustainable, high performance building materials prevalent throughout the world is zinc. Zinc is reported to be the 23rd most abundant element in the earth's crust. It is a non-ferrous metal that is not susceptible to rust or corrosion: It can weatherproof, seismic proof, corrosion resistant, and immune to the harmful effects of UV rays, ensuring a very long service life without degradation. This is possible simply because architectural zinc evolves its own protective layer, which is called zinc hydroxyl carbonate. Once it can formed, that layer blocks moisture and chemicals from penetrating the zinc and, if it's scratched, the hydroxyl carbonate will reform over time. In other words, zinc heals itself. That's why zinc walls and roofs last on average from 80 to 100 years. Zinc also requires very little energy to manufacture and little to no maintenance, and it is 100 percent recyclable from new construction scrap to the time it reaches its end use. As a result, zinc roofs and wall cladding never end up in landfills. For generations, European architects have specified zinc as a building envelope material for all types of buildings because it would last and endure harsh weather conditions. In the late 1700s, zinc was also one of the most popular materials used for roofing in America, which is why many well-known historic structures, such as the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, had metal roofs. Unfortunately, zinc fell out of favor in the U. S. as less expensive roofing materials evolved, such as asphalt shingles, and as American developers and building owners lapsed into a "throw-away" mind-set in the 1960s and '70s that still assumes no more than a 30- to 50-year life span for American buildings. Today, American architects are becoming more enamored with the material, not only for its durability but also because of the increasing need for environmentally sustainable design and construction. American architects are warming to the use of zinc on commercial, institutional, and government buildings. A few far-sighted practitioners are also encouraging their residential clients to use architectural zinc on their homes - from brand-new construction to renovation and historic restoration. New Construction: Thinking of The Future"Zinc ultimately costs much less than asphalt shingles when you calculate the life span of the house, " says Daniel Nicely, director of market development for VMZINC and an associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). "Shingles are usually composed of asphalt, a decidedly non-green material, and an average shingle roof will need to be replaced about every 10 years -- four to five times compared to the lifetime of one zinc roof. "Compared to other metals that may be less expensive than zinc (painted aluminum, for example) or more expensive (copper), Nicely insists that zinc comes out ahead in analysis. He points out: