With today's heightened interest in and demand for ecologically sound materials, metal building for roofing is an ideal choice. 

Green building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and the environment. The metal roofing industry's products are already environmentally friendly, and are contributing to the reduction of landfill waste and energy consumption.

Forget the actual metal building prices, too. How come? These advantages go beyond initial figures. A study conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that the installation of reflective metal roofing can save homeowners up to forty percent in summer cooling costs, while highly emissive metal roofs can reduce urban air temperatures by as much as 12 degrees.

A basic unpainted metal roof will reflect much of the solar radiation that would be absorbed by a traditional asphalt roof. However, for homes in warmer climates, pre-painted or granular coated metal roofing systems not only reflect solar energy - they also cool the home by re-emitting most of the solar energy that is absorbed.

The EPA reports that $40 billion is spent annually in the United States to cool buildings. This accounts for one-sixth of all electricity generated in a year. Ninety percent of the energy in the United States is generated by burning fossil fuels, which creates pollution.

In addition to being energy efficient, residential and commercial steel building for roofing is recognized as a sustainable material for several environmental reasons. Many metal roofs typically have a minimum of 25 percent recycled content. This level of recycled content allows metal roofing to be routinely included on listings for green and recycled content products.

Moreover, metal roofing is 100 percent recyclable where other roofing materials are routinely removed and disposed of by the ton in landfills.

Along with providing superior environmentally friendly protection, a metal roof also increases a home's resale value. The 2005 Residential Cost Handbookreports the appraised value of a home increases by $1.35 per square foot when general steel building is employed in such a way.