Copper Gutters and Roofs Offer an Eco-Friendly Alternative

Today more than ever, owners are influenced by the need to go green when building new homes or replacing parts of existing buildings.Renewable and recycled building materials are more popular than ever before. And these materials are becoming cheaper.Copper gutters and roofs offer a green alternative to more conventional materials.

Even though they make up the great majority of gutters in continental Europe, copper gutters remain relatively uncommon here. Because the production process for plastic gutters is environmentally damaging, they offer and excellent alternative. Producing plastic gutters released emissions and the process has to be frequently repeated because the gutter aren’t very durable. Sourcing copper on the other hand is not damaging and copper is classed as a renewable resource. This is due to the fact that only about a tenth of known copper supplies has been mined so far. What’s more, most architectural copper is reclaimed and recycled.Not only does the production of copper gutters cause minimal environmental damage but copper’s longevity negates the repeated production process required for plastic gutters. This is because copper gutters will be working perfectly in over one hundred years.

The other advantage of copper gutters, their fungicidal quality means that they reduce blockages.The metal also has a natural mild disinfectant action on the rainwater, making harvested water safer.
Copper is also the best choice when it comes to aesthetics. Because of the natural oxidisation process, copper gradually changes its solour leaving attractive gutters and roofs.

Copper roofing offers the same advantages as guttering. The fact that it will last a century also means it is the best investment financially.

The initial cost of buying copper is more than for some other materials, but it offers better value for money in the long run.Long term financial saving coupled with next to no environmental damage can only be a good thing.