Roofing
Wales has a long history of using slate as a natural roofing material. North Wales historically supplied much of the slate, but these mines are now few and far between. There are a range of historical and contemporary materials that you can now use on roofs that provide sound environmental credentials.
These include:
- Slate
- Wooden shingles (normally cedar)
- Recycled materials e.g. rubber tiles
If you are replacing your roof this would be the most economically sensible time to look at incorporating energy generation technology. Photo-voltiac and solar thermal panels can now be designed to actually form part of the roof structure as well as being available as a retro-fit option.
Loft based ventilation systems are another option to provide energy and fresh air that a building needs. Air is extracted from below the tiles or from under the eaves to provide warm or cool air, as required, and then circulated around the building using a system of ducts.
A roof can also be fitted with sky lights and sun-pipes that can bring light into the building, these save on energy bills and also provide a source of natural light rather than using artificial light that can be detrimental to health.
For more detailed information on different materials we use the Greenspec website.