If your roof is damaged or near the end of its lifespan, you may need to do a roof restoration project. You can repair your roof and put back on the same style of roof, or you can take advantage of the situation to make your roof more environmentally friendly. Looking for ideas? Then, consider the following.

1. Change to a Light Colour

Lights colours can help to repel the sun's rays and potentially reduce the amount of money you spend cooling your home or office. If you currently have a commercial roof covered by black tar, for example, you may want to put on a white or other light coloured rubber coating. Similarly, if you have a dark tile covered residential roof, you may want to look for tiles in light colours.

2. Integrate Green Elements

Plants naturally clean the air, and when they are on your roof, they can help to reduce the carbon dioxide that is in your environment due to passing cars. To take advantage of that process, you may want to integrate green elements into your roof.

You can put full gardens onto the top of your roof, but in this situation, you need roof access, and you also need to ensure the roof is strong enough to handle the weight of the soil. In particular, when you water the plants, the soil gets very heavy. Alternatively, you may be able to put relatively lightweight vines or moss on your roof to create a green effect.

3. Use Recycled Materials

You don't have to source new materials for your roof. Instead, you may want to use recycled materials. Typically, metal roofing is the best option if you want to have recycled content on your roof. However, your roofer may be able to recommend additional options to you.

4. Consider the Lifespan of the Roof

Whether you use recycled materials or not, you should think about the lifespan of your roof. Are your roofing materials going to end up in a landfill in a few years or decades? If you want to avoid that, you need to choose roofing restoration materials that can last as long as possible.

5. Contact an Environmentally Friendly Roofer

When you talk with different roofers about your restoration project, ask them about their commitment to environmentally friendly designs and materials. Talk with them about strategies to make your roof green. If you like their ideas, they may be the right roofer for you.