roofs / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...roofs: a solution for very cold climates The move towards building unvented roofs in the Arctic instead of vented roofs came from a series of complete roof failures unfortunately. Home building practices from the southern parts of Canada were applied to the Artic with no thought whatsoever to how different the climate ...

...roofs (15-20 years), potentially offsetting the initial investment over its lifetime - although the newer cedar roofs don't seem to last as long as the original old-growth cedar shakes did. Maintenance: Natural cedar requires regular maintenance (cleaning, inspections, potential treatments) which can cost between $500 ...

...roofs on office buildings in downtown cores reduces the heat island effect, and also offer natural space for people, birds and insects, and retains rainwater to prevent it from entering city sewars and treatent facililties. Green roofs can also help with stormwater management and provide habitat for local fauna. You c...

...roofs- intensive and extensive: Green roof © Ecohome An intensive green roof, also known as a ‘rooftop garden’ refers to planting areas that have a depth of 6 inches and up. Deeper soil supports a greater variety of plants such as vegetables, shrubs and even small trees. Extensive roofs are designed primarily for hig...

...roofs and wall sheathing, OSB claims about 70% of the wood sheathing market in North America over plywood. Both products have benefits and drawbacks; we will go over those, starting with their composition, and explore "which is better?" Especially in relation to OSB or Plywood use for Roofs, Walls & Floors. OSB is ...

...roofs, letting water penetrate and cause damage to the interior of walls and roofs.  When snow melts on a roof it runs down until it meets the unheated bottom edge of a roof and then freezes. This chunk of ice is called an ice dam, and it can cause water to backup beneath shingles and Ice dams cause damage to walls and...

...roofs are a collaborative endeavour: Green roofs are technically complex building systems, requiring collaboration between architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, civil engineers, landscape architects and specialty consultants. A successful green roof is a combination of engineering, architecture and ec...

...roofs are easier to maintain, and so cost less per year of ownership - this is especially true of roofs that have any trees nearby. Falling pine needles, leaves and twigs will come off the roof with more velocity and valleys remain clearer than with asphalt shingle covered roofs. Durability and lifespan: metal roofs v...

...roofs over unventilated roofs for durability and resilience.  An unventilated roof should be done either with perfectly sealed rigid foam insulation panels or spray foam. Pick one and stick with it; it's best not to mix insulation types. If you were to have a top layer of foam insulation but have something fibrous unde...

...roofs with mineral wool batts. Read more in the Ecohome Building guide and the pages below, and watch more green building videos here on the Ecohome YouTube channel Weather resistance of metal roofs vs asphalt shingles The difference between an air barrier and a vapor barrier  What causes ice dams and how to fix ...

...roofs As one of the world's most durable and long-lasting roofing systems, this definitive guide to cleaning and treating slate or tile roofs will help you protect your investment for a lifetime. Whether made of concrete, clay, or natural slate, tile roofs are designed to withstand the elements for 50, 100, or even mor...