When remodelling or designing any building, you’re bound to be concerned about the environmental impact of the materials you choose. It’s important to think along the whole lifespan of the tile, from manufacture through to disposal, in order to make a balanced judgement about which roofing material is right for you.

With so much to consider it’s easy to get confused, so we’ve created a quick guide to the environmental pros and cons of each roofing material to help you make your mind up.

Considerations

There are a lot of factors to take into account when assessing the sustainability of a roof tile:

• Manufacture: The mining or production of the materials needed may release emissions or damage the landscape
• Transportation: A lightweight tile will keep down fuel consumption. Heavy tiles use more energy and fuel to move and may need multiple loads, as well as putting more stress on a building’s structure.
• Coverage: A tile that is very thick, needs a lot of overlap, or is only possible to install at a steep pitch, will of course use more emissions overall from manufacture and travelling than a lightweight low pitch roof tile.
• Replacement: The more durable a material is, the more environmentally friendly it is likely to be. If a single tile will last for three lifespans of an alternative, then it means less emissions from transportation, production, and installation.
• Recyclability: At the end of its lifespan, a material that is destined for landfill is only adding to a mounting environmental problem. A tile that is both recycled and suitable for recycling is ideal.
• Insulation: If a material has poor insulation qualities then over time this will lead to extra heating bills due to escaping warmth.

With these factors to consider, making a judgement about how damaging each material becomes a lot easier.

Slate

As slate occurs naturally, there is little heat and few factory emissions associated with it. On the other hand, the waste generated from splitting the slate can be incredibly high, making it an inefficient process.

Slate tiles are also not always uniform. For some people this is a large part of the appeal. However, imperfections can lead to leaks or escaped heat. The heaviness of slate means that it releases a very high amount of emissions. Slate reserves are also relatively low in the UK, meaning that it is likely to be imported.

Clay

Although it is not in short supply, clay extraction can be very harmful to the landscape and is difficult to recycle, though re-use or whole or broken tiles is possible. The manufacturing process is also extremely high-energy as it involves using large amounts of heat to fire the clay. It’s also fairly heavy and bulky, driving up transport emissions.

Clay can however be extremely long lasting, which will cut down on the impact from replacing the tiles.

Timber/Wood

If sourced from a sustainable and FSC approved contractor, wooden shingles are a fairly eco-friendly roof covering due to the practise of replanting harvested forest. It is also very easy to recycle used timbers.

However, the life of wooden roofing tends to be shorter than some other alternatives, and it may require frequent maintenance, making it a bad choice for those who want a hassle-free roof. If the wood is imported then it also has a high, hidden energy cost. Some wood treatments also include harsh chemicals. It’s also worth considering the fire risk associated with wooden building components.

Concrete

Concrete can be re-used in the building trade when it is crushed, and it is also very durable.

However, the manufacturing process uses very high levels of energy, and extraction of the materials needed is also an energy rich process that causes damage to the landscape, both aesthetically and chemically. It’s also heavy, meaning that transportation uses more energy.

Steel

These tiles are largely manufactured from reclaimed material, and at the end of their life, some types of steel roofing are also 100% recyclable. Transport costs are low as the tiles are so lightweight, and their durability is equal or better than traditional roofing types, keeping maintenance and replacement needs at a very low level. The slim profile also allows for easy addition of extra insulation, keeping energy bills very low.

Metrotile’s roofing comes in a huge range of profiles that are inspired by classic tile profiles, so even though you’re investing in a modern tile, you don’t have to compromise on how it looks. If a tile that looks traditional but is sustainably produced and has modern benefits sounds right for your building, then contact us on 01249 658 514.