What You Missed: Two Principles and 10 New Paradigms for Difficult Times
At Bruttell Roofing's Roof Sustainability Conference 2009 Bob Bruttell and Tim Callahan offered a way forward during these difficult times. How do we protect the environment and save money too?
Bob said there are two guiding principles. First: "Save money by not spending it." Keep what you have in good condition.
Second: "Invest in order to get a future return- especially for energy savings." Money spent on durability, longevity and lower operating costs will pay future dividends.
Ten new paradigms for difficult times.
TIM CALLAHAN'S NEW DECISION RULES FOR SUSTAINABILITY:
1. The best use for fossil fuels is uses that save energy rather than burn it. Foam insulation would be an example.
2. Make it beautiful and then people will want to make it last a long time.
3. Products manufactured close at hand with resources that are also close at hand are to be preferred.
4. Efficiency in manufacture and use employs less resources and is therefore more sustainable.
5. Human creativity is to be honored. Human beings have done a lot to clean up power plants & Lake Erie for instance. Humans are clever beings. We can do this.
BOB BRUTTELL'S NEW PARADIGMS FOR ROOFING SUSTAINABILITY:
1. Sustainability requires partnerships. We have to work together and trust that we can go forward together. We cannot get through difficult times alone.
2. There are grand new expectations for roofing. Roofs are now part of creating beauty (ie. plants and vegetation on roofs); creating energy (ie. photovoltaics); water management (ie. rain water retention). Roofs are not just leak protection anymore.
3. Roofs do not do anyone any good in a landfill. Our new paradigm has to be how do we get roofs to last a very long time- theoretically trying to get them to last forever.
4. Maintenance and care is the key to everything that is good and long-lasting. If we want roofs, or anything else, to last we will have to make them extremely durable in the first place and then continuously add back what nature takes away.
5. The final paradigm for roofing is to inspect what you expect. Establish ambitious but achievable performance expectations for all components of the roof system. Measure performance continuously making small repairs as data and feedback require.
