Green Benefits of Cedar Shake Roofs

Cedar shake is a popular type of roofing in NJ, and not just for its looks! It is a sustainable material that not only doesn’t harm or deplete the environment, but also works in a more beneficial way. Additionally, these awesome roofs can even save you some money in the long run! If you’ve been looking into installing a roof, here are some things about cedar shake green roofs that you may not be aware of:

Cedar Shake Roofs are Biodegradable

An old cedar roof is recyclable when it is ready to be replaced. It’s frequently chipped into useful garden mulch. For decades, other roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles, have been stacking up in landfills. According to the Integrated Waste Management Board of California, 11 million tons of old asphalt shingles are put into landfills each year in the United States. These shingles may seep pollutants when it rains.

Cedar Shakes are Sustainable:

Western red cedar shakes and shingles are currently sourced from carefully managed forests in the Pacific Northwest, both in the United States and British Columbia, where thinning, strategically planned harvesting, and reforesting are all part of the cycle of sustainability. If a tree is harvested, the majority of each tree (95%) is constructed into useful items like your NJ cedar shake roofing, but the remaining 5%, mostly branches, decomposes to compost that can be used for future trees.

Managed Cedar Forests Fights Climate Change

Trees consume carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as part of their photosynthesis process. The C02 taken in is captured and stored within the wood, cleaning the air we breathe and keeping extra carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Every year, managed cedar forests store the same amount of carbon dioxide as the emissions from approximately 173 million automobiles!

Oxygen-Producing

The trees in a managed cedar forest are actively absorbing carbon dioxide and producing much-needed oxygen as part of their natural cycle of photosynthesis. Young trees, such as those in well-managed commercial forests, perform this task considerably more efficiently than older ones. Not many green roofing solutions are already contributing to the environment before being utilized!

Cedar Shake Roofs are Naturally Energy-Saving

Green roofing cedar cells have a “loose” structure, thus they are effective natural insulators. A natural cedar roof will keep your home more comfortable in the summer and colder in the winter. As a result, you’ll need less energy to heat and cool your home. And the savings can add up over time!

A Cedar Shake Roof Helps Shrink Your Carbon Footprint

On top of producing oxygen, taking carbon dioxide from the air, and decreasing your fossil fuel-based heating needs, the process of constructing cedar trees into shingles is neither labor-intensive nor energy-intensive for this type of green roofing. There are several other roofing alternatives that require substantial fossil-fuel usage to acquire (mining metals or extracting oils), process and transform from raw materials to finished goods. The total energy required to build your roof is significantly reduced with cedar shingles. It’s an excellent choice for a greener roof!

If you’re sold on getting a cedar shake roof in NJ, be sure that you’re hiring a cedar shake roofing company that has ample experience in installing cedar shake roofs. That way you can rest assured that you’ll have a beautiful and environmentally-friendly for decades to come!