If you're designing your commercial building, it's time to start thinking about the roof. Your roof choice could make or break your commercial building. That's because the roof is a key component of your building. In fact, the roof you put on your building will determine things like energy efficiency and property value. That's why it's important for you to put a lot of thought into your new roof. Here are four things to consider when choosing your commercial roof. 

Go Green

If you're making plans for your new commercial roof, make a difference. Go green. You might have thought that green roofs were only for residential homes. But that's not the case. Green roofs are an excellent investment for commercial buildings, as well. Green roofs allow you to plant vegetation over a waterproof layer of roofing material. The vegetation helps to cool your building and improve the air quality. Best of all, rain will get absorbed into the soil, which means you won't need to deal with the run-off anymore. 

Think Cool 

If you've decided against a green roof, but you still want to reduce the summer temperatures inside your building, think cool. Bare shingles attract the heat. Once the heat has been attracted, it's absorbed into your building. Unfortunately, the absorption increases the temperature inside your office, which means you'll need to run the air conditioner more often during the summer. That's why you need to cool down the shingles on your commercial roof. Once the roof is installed on your commercial building, have it coated with a protective paint. The paint will prevent heat absorption, which means your building will stay cool. It also means that the sun will do less damage to your shingles. 

Choose Recycled

If you want to do your part for the environment, choose recycled roofing material for your new commercial building. New roofs don't need to include brand-new material. In fact, some of the best roofing materials are now made from recycled materials, such as old tires or recycled scrap metal. Some shingles are even manufactured from recycled roofing material. When you talk to your commercial roofing contractor about your roof, ask about recycled materials. 

Power Up the Solar

Finally, now that it's time to design the roof for your commercial building, think about your power needs. You can save a lot of money on your energy costs by turning to solar power. Best of all, you can have the solar panels installed right on your new roof.