How to Replace a Garage Roof With Recycled Goods

Have your contractor install a garage roof with composite material made from recycled products. The products made from rubber and plastic resemble traditional roofing tiles and are available in shapes and colors that provide a close match to the roof on an adjacent house. Recycled shingles typically have a life span of 40 to 50 years, much longer than asphalt shingles, and require no special training for installation. While they may cost more initially, over the long run, they are cheaper because they don't require frequent replacement.

Create a do-it-yourself project. Head to a salvage yard or junkyard to purchase materials suitable for roofing, such as scrap galvanized steel, used lumber or sheets of corrugated plastic panels like the ones used for patio covers. Remove the old garage roof, leaving the roof support beams and plywood substrate in place. Replace damaged plywood and nail a drip edge to the lower edge of the roof. Cover the plywood with recycled roofing felt paper made from wood chips and recovered paper. Nail your found metal, lumber or plastic in place over the felt paper.

Plan ahead. Collect recycled plastic bottles until you have several thousand. Save space by flattening, but not crushing, the bottles as you collect them. Remove the labels and recycle the bottle caps. Remove the old roof, leaving the support beams and substrate. Make repairs to the plywood substrate if necessary. Install a drip edge and cover the plywood with recycled felt paper as in Step 2. Nail the plastic bottles to the roof starting with a single row along the bottom edge of the roof. Continue adding rows, working toward the peak of the roof, staggering and overlapping the bottles in each row until you reach the peak.