Sustainable Roof Insulation Materials

Polystyrene doesn t sound like a green material.

Sustainable roof insulation materials.

Oddly enough one of the most sustainable roofing products is clay tile. The roof mimics recycled slate and cedar shakes. Glasswool polyester sheep s wool cellulose earthwool. Top 5 green insulation options 1.

In fact it s a form of plastic. With the exception of damp rooms hemp is an appropriate material to insulate roofs walls facades and floors. The most common metal roofing materials are steel and aluminum. Leftover blue jean scraps are shredded and recycled into thick batts that.

Metal roofs can reflect some heat to reduce heat gain but they must be insulated properly because metal is highly conductive of heat. Because cotton is a natural and renewable resource it is one of the most eco friendly insulation options on the market. Here s a snapshot of some of the most common eco friendly insulation materials. Natural clay is available in a variety of colors and manufacturers may add tints and glazing to extend the range of color options.

Safe and sustainable materials. Natural formaldehyde free materials make eco friendly insulation products the best choice for a green and healthy home. Unlike fiberglass insulation materials like wool and cotton are safe to handle and cause no irritation to the skin or respiratory tract. The puffy sponge cake like insulation known as icynene creates a blanket of insulation that tightly seals.

Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newspaper and treated with fire retardants and insect protection. Hemp is a sustainable insulation material that is completely compostable after usage. The hemp fibres have a woody structure they are strong and can easily be produced as insulation blankets. Metals are made with materials mined from the earth and therefore are not technically sustainable.

Borates derived from the mineral boron are natural materials that can be used as fire retardants and insect repellents in cellulose insulation.