Condo Media - June 2011 - 21

any cost savings in the summer is more than likely to be offset by additional heating costs in the winter. Traditional “green” roofs — the kind with dirt and live plantings — are the ultimate green option for flat roofs. Green roofs have become increasingly popular on commercial and multi-residential buildings in big cities, but they aren’t feasible for most suburban condos. Although green roofs are designed to be low maintenance and superb for energy conservation, installation costs are far too expensive for most associations. For these reasons, as counterintuitive as it may seem, conventional asphalt shingles are actually the most practical green option for New England condo associations. Not only are asphalt shingles the most affordable, they can easily be recycled and used in road construction.

And to guard against high wind damage, make sure the specs call for each shingle to be fastened with six nails instead of the standard four.

Put Your Roof to Work Making Energy
At SPS, we’ve been using solar energy generated from a photovoltaic array on the roof of our Waltham, Mass., office since 2003. The energy savings has exceeded our expectations. If your association is planning a roof replacement, now is the time to consider installing solar panels. State and federal incentives for solar systems have only gotten better while, at the same time, industry competition has improved efficiency and reduced costs. As energy costs climb, the pace of development for innovative solar energy products will only accelerate. For example, one of the newest photovoltaic systems on the market uses a thin laminate solar panel designed for asphalt shingle roofs. It installs flush on the roof deck and requires no roof penetrations. Which photovoltaic system is right for your association’s roofs? That’s a question best answered by a qualified engineer or solar energy specialist, who can help you determine the best system configuration with the best rate of return on your investment.

Make Your Replacement Roof Last Longer
Want to add significant green value to your next asphalt shingle roof? Make it last longer. A longer roof life means fewer costly roof replacements in the future. This also means your association will reduce the amount of construction debris that enters the waste stream and save energy that would be used to transport new roofing materials and crews. The easiest way to make your roof last longer is to install 50-year shingles instead of 30-year shingles. It’s also a smart financial move. Choosing 50year shingles and adding 20 years to your roof’s life expectancy costs only a small percentage more than the total installed cost of using 30-year shingles. But upgrading to 50-year shingles alone isn’t enough. You have to do the job right: Hire an engineer to ensure your roof is ventilated properly and your attic is insulated properly. Replace aging skylights with energy-efficient models. Pay particular attention to flashing details for skylights, vents, chimney boxes and above-roof siding.

Green Siding Replacement Options
Associations that want to make an informed decision about green siding replacement options will quickly find themselves weighing the merits of traditional wood vs. vinyl siding. Fair warning: this decision is not as easy or obvious as you might think. Traditional wooden siding is made from a renewable, easily recycled resource that can, in theory, last more than 50 years when properly installed and maintained. The problem is that theory usually falls far short of reality. The typical lifespan for most wooden siding is less than 25 years — sometimes much less when improper installation

and maintenance lead to premature failure. The cumulative maintenance cost of painting and spot siding repairs is another problem. At some point, every association reaches a mathematical tipping point when doing a complete siding replacement makes more financial sense than to keep wasting money on endless spot repairs and clapboard that won’t hold paint. Which is exactly why many associations find the longevity and low maintenance costs of vinyl siding and PVC trim so appealing. A compelling argument also can be made for vinyl’s and PVC’s green appeal. Choosing longlife building materials reduces the amount of resources and energy consumed for future maintenance and replacement. Maintaining wooden clapboards and trim isn’t just a financial burden for associations. It also exacts a toll on the environment. Take the environmental impact of transporting crews to worksites, for example. Every gallon of gasoline consumed releases approximately 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The numbers add up quickly. At SPS, we make a serious effort to control fuel consumption and keep our vehicles in top mechanical condition. But during the first quarter of 2011, our vehicles still consumed more than 12,000 gallons of gas and emitted more than 235,000 pounds of carbon dioxide. Factor in the energy used to manufacture and ship building materials, and the true environmental impact is even higher. Finally, any honest discussion about green siding replacement options must include what happens to siding at the end of its service life. And herein lies one of the more contentious debates among green building advocates. Wooden siding and trim is easily recycled into other wood-based products. But there is strong disagreement between the vinyl industry and green activists about the environmental impact of recycling vinyl and PVC construction debris.

CONDO MEDIA • JUNE 2011

Condo Media - June 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - June 2011