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Green roofing doesn’t have to mean wood-free, but if you desire eco-friendly shingles and sheathing, you’ll want to choose products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Like wood doors and floors, choosing FSC roofing materials helps protect forests and wild spaces worldwide.

How to choose FSC-certified roofing materials

Whether you’ve got to replace just a few shingles or a whole roof, consider the following issues before purchasing what you need to get the job done:

• Upfront isn’t everything: When considering new roofing, remember that initial roofing costs aren’t the only thing you’ll pay for. Though 15-year asphalt may seem like a steal, if you factor in energy inefficiencies and multiple replacements (meaning more disposal waste and need for raw materials), it’s not as cheap as it seems. A higher-priced, but longer lasting, efficient roofing system will be kinder to your pocketbook and the planet over the long haul.
• Check first, then replace: Be sure that your roof needs replacing before doling out the cash for an entirely new system. Sometimes an inexpensive repair will fix the leak or seal energy-wasting joints.
• The whole nine yards: Consider the whole roofing system when thinking about an environmentally friendly home remodel. Wood products you may need to replace include sheathing and shingles.
• Special alert!: If your old roof was installed between 1940 and 1975, there is a strong chance that it contains asbestos. To avoid possible health problems associated with this material, it's recommended that you work with a licensed professional to remove asbestos roofing. Call 1-800-USA-ROOF to find one near you.
• Color matters: Keep color in mind when choosing your roofing material, especially if you live in a hot zone. Since dark roofing surfaces absorb more heat (sometimes raising roof temperature by 100°F), they transfer more heat into the building than lighter colored roofs.[1] Smooth, bright white roofing often used in cool roof construction is the lowest temp option for building construction, raising roof temperature by only 15°F compared to 72°F to 90°F for common asphalt shingles.[2]
• Insurance woes: Are you replacing your roof because of hail or wind damage? If you choose to go through your insurance company, you may face some challenges. Insurance companies often default to asphalt for roof replacements. If you want something more eco-friendly, you’ll most likely have to ask, and chances are you’ll have to pay the difference if your green roof choice is more costly than your insurer's preferred choice.

Find it! Recycled content roofing materials

To find FSC-certified roofing materials, try searching the Forest Stewardship Council’s certified listings or the Forest Certification Resource Center’s product database. You can input your state and then search for “roof,” “plywood,” or “shingles” to find what you need. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find there:

Before you buy

If you live in an old, historic neighborhood, your home may be subject to regulations and bylaws restricting what type of roofing you use. Check with the local community association before beginning your green re-roof project to be sure you remain within the specifications.

Buying FSC-certified wood roofing materials helps you go green because…

• It ensures forests are properly managed, which in turn ensures soil, waterways, and wildlife are protected.

Forest ecosystems are all critical to maintaining life on Earth. They filter the air, stabilize climate by absorbing CO₂, and provide habitat for 90 percent of all land-dwelling plant and animals species.[3] As demand for wood and other forest products has grown, many groups have worked to develop a management system that promotes responsible forest practices to protect trees, soil, waterways, and wildlife[4] while maximizing the quality and quantity of timber.[5] Forest certification alerts consumers that wood products come from properly managed forests.[3]

Forest Stewardship Council

There are several organizations certifying lumber, but according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), only one is preferred by green experts worldwide—the FSC.[3] This international nonprofit organization was formed in 1993 and accredits certifiers, who in turn use auditors to inspect timber operations (only those that voluntarily request FSC certification) to guarantee that trees are sustainably harvested using forestry practices that maintain the diversity of native species, prevent over-cutting, protect watersheds, and ensure long-term forest management.[6]

FSC's program is endorsed by most national and international environmental NGOs; unions; social groups; indigenous peoples; timber industries; private, communal, and state forest owners; and scientists from over 60 countries,[7] including such organizations as the World Wildlife Fund, The Wilderness Society, the NRDC, the Rainforest Alliance and the World Resources Institute.[8]

FSC has six strict principles for monitoring every stage of production, distribution, and sale of wood products, and works with wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.[9] These principles cover environmental, social, and economic criteria,[10] such as harvest rates and clearing sizes, natural forest conditions, rare, threatened, and endangered species, adequate conservation zones, chemical use (minimized), protection of streams and lakes, and the health of workers, communities, and indigenous peoples.[3] Only those operations that meet the criteria are allowed to display the FSC label.[11]

In the last few years, the top three wood buyers in the world—Home Depot, Lowe’s, and IKEA–all committed to work with the Forest Stewardship Council to reduce their consumption of non-sustainable wood products.[12]

Controversies

Buying wood with some type of environmental certification can help ensure it was harvested sustainably, however not all certifying bodies are equal. FSC is the only international accrediting body that guarantees that wood has been sustainably harvested. There are several other labels used to certify wood that are not nearly as rigorous.[13] For instance, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) (developed by the American Forest & Paper Association was found to have significant shortcomings when compared to FSC.[14]

The anti-SFI coalition (including such groups as ForestEthics, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, and the NRDC) has charged SFI with failing to effectively protect forests (especially old growth stands) by permitting members to indiscriminately log diverse forests and replace them with a single species, ignoring crucial social issues,[15] and delivering no credible assurances to the consumer.[16]

Glossary

• old growth forest: Also known as virgin forest, ancient forest, or primary forest, this is an area of forest that has attained great age, containing a variety of vertical layers of vegetation, including large live trees. These forests may also be home to many rare species that are dependent on these ecologically unique old growth features.[17]

External links

• Forest Stewardship Council International
• National Roofing Contractors Association
• Roofing - Green Home Remodel
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Remodeler’s Field Guide
• SmartWood is an approved US FSC auditor
• Don’t Buy SFI is a campaign spearheaded by groups such as ForestEthics, Sierra Club, and Greenpeace.
• Rainforest Action Network. An environmental group trying to protect forests, that has launched a campaign against SFI-certified wood.
• Scientific Certification Systems. Approved to disseminate the FSC logo. The website has Chain of Custody Program Materials.
• EcoTimber has a summary of some of the less-stringent certification programs, which, when compared to FSC, fall significantly short.
• Forest Certification Resource Center is a nonprofit voluntary initiative committed to promoting responsible forest products. The website includes a searchable database of companies who manufacture and sell FSC-certified products. This website also includes a handy table that compares various auditors and creditors.