The growing amount of pollution floating in the air from various sources is a growing concern. Not only
does it negatively affect the environment but human health as well. In fact, pollutants from the air are one of the leading causes of respiratory problems. Thankfully, according to many roofing contractors, there are effective and efficient ways to minimize this problem and one of them is with the roof.
An effective way of ridding the air from pollutants has been developed by simply installing specially treated shingles on roofs just like any ordinary shingles. This breakthrough seems unbelievable; yet the science behind it is simple yet very effective. The active ingredient of this roofing tile is titanium dioxide.
How it Works
Titanium dioxide is applied to the top layer of each shingles so it can interact with the outside air and filter out impurities. Once the mixed nitrogen oxide passes over the shingles, it causes a chemical reaction which converts the nitrogen oxide into environmentally useful nitrates. This reaction happens spontaneously once the shingles are installed, so cleaning the outside air can be done without the installation of anything else.
Benefits
Needless to say, many advantages are realized as a result of using this new type of shingle on a roof.
- Prevents “Hot Spots” – Overall, most outside air is clean; however, in major cities there are places known as “hot spots” where a high concentration of pollution exists. People living in such areas have a greater risk of developing various respiratory and cardiovascular diseases due to the poor air quality. Theoretically, installing pollution-deterring shingles can help reduce and eliminate smog from building up over large cities.
- Improves Soil Condition – Nitrogen oxide, when mixed with other volatile compounds in the air and has interacted with sunlight and heat, can form smog. It such a form, nitrogen oxide offers no benefit at all; however, once the nitrogen oxide reacts with titanium dioxide, it is instantly converted into a useful form of nitrates. Once nitrates are washed off a roof and into the ground, this compound works as a natural fertilizer and improves the condition of the soil for plant life.
Safety
Safety wise, the active ingredient titanium oxide is a completely harmless compound. In fact, the material is present in various products including paint, toothpaste, and food coloring to name a few. So covering shingles with this material has no untoward effect on either humans or the environment.
Effectiveness
So how effective can one titanium oxide-coated shingle clean the air? Well, not much; however, according to its developers, combining at least 1,000 square feet of shingles can help get rid of 5,400 miles worth of smog on an annual basis. That amount is about half of the smog average driving can produce in a year. While this environmentally-friendly product costs 25% more than the price of an ordinary shingle, the cost of breathing cleaner air and living in a healthier environment is priceless.
With the help of titanium oxide-laced tiles, putting a dent in pollution has never been so easy. It’s just a matter of having roofing contractors install the shingles and letting the air cleansing begin. Hopefully this article has provided helpful information regarding this new roofing technology and how it can help improve the quality of the air that we breathe!
When looking for Houston roofing contractors, let Schulte Roofing of Navasota fill that need! Providing outstanding service to the greater Houston area, the professionals at Schulte can help with all roofing needs!