I'm not a residential roofing specialist, but I do know to how to do a basic roof repair. As a teen I used to work for my dad in the summer months; he was a roofing contractor way back in the sixties. My father used to be a consultant and a member of the Roofing Contractors Association of Southern California. Needless to say, I did not become a roofing contractor, but I do know what goes into a residential roofing project.
In late October of 2008, my family and I lost our residence to the Santa Ana wind-driven wildfire that threatened the Getty Center. Our new home had a shake wood roof just like our old house did, so the first thing we opted to do was to replace it with fire resistant roofing materials.
There are quite a few types of residential roofing materials that boast fire protection; we decided to do the main aspect of the home with a new type of metal roof system that also meets Energy Star compliance. Our new home is an architectural beauty; there is a part of the home that has a flat roof top patio that looks out over downtown Los Angeles.
After doing a bit of research I found out about green roofs and how architects and roofing contractors are using new environmentally friendly technologies to manufacture breath-taking self-contained garden spaces atop commercial buildings. I wanted to utilize that advanced technology in my residential roofing application.
To do green roofs on flat roof buildings there are a few structural issues that need to be known. The roofing contractor I ended up getting to do the job had previously completed a few green roofs on some residential roofing jobs back in the summer of 2008. I was lucky enough to have bought a home that was designed by an architect that used commercial grade materials for the home's residential roofing structure.
The largest change that had to be made to the roof was a roof coating that was sprayed on the commercial waterproofing that was on the roof from the time it was built in the nineties. There is not much difference to utilizing a roof coating on a residential roofing project than there is when using one on a commercial application.
My new house is now totally remodeled and we have newly moved in. The whole pitched part of the roof has a fire resistant metal roof that was manufactured with an Energy Star compliant roof coating that reflects the Southern California suns heat away from the interior and the flat section of the home has a roof top garden space that looks out over downtown. What really makes me thrilled about using environmentally friendly techniques on my remodel job is the fact that we saved a lot on our taxes.
With the federal government giving tax payers a credit for using Energy Star compliant materials and with the funds we are going to save on utility costs, I think more people should use more environmentally friendly materials on their residential roofing applications. If you believe that it is time to replace your roof, I propose you consider looking into using the advanced technologies that offer not only fire protection but that also help cut energy costs.
Even though we lost all in the wildfire, Im content knowing that we have a house that is Energy Star compliant and gives us protection from any future fires.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/construction-articles/energy-star-acquiescent-residential-roofing-supplies-and-fire-protection-2077115.html
About the AuthorRoofing contractor serving the greater Los Angeles area. Specializing in green roofing, Residential Roofing , roof repair and Commercial Roofing. For more information visit http://4myroof.com