Green roofs, also known as living roofs, provide a practical, attractive and environmentally friendly roofing solution. No longer just the preserve of architecturally designed “eco pads,” this technology can be applied almost anywhere there are buildings. How about putting one in your shed as a small-scale DIY project?
Green roofs fall into two main categories:
Intensive green roofs are usually roofs with a reasonable soil depth, allowing them to grow a variety of large plants, a vegetable garden, or a conventional lawn. This type of green roof is ideal if you are looking to create a new space that you can use and enjoy. The downside to this type of roof is that the initial costs will be higher and a reasonable amount of maintenance will be required, such as weed feeding and watering.
Extensive green roofs consist of only a thin layer of soil, or an equivalent medium, and tend to be populated with a small number of specially selected plant species. This type of roof is generally cheaper to install and requires relatively little maintenance with many systems only requiring weeding and fertilizing once a year.
Living roofs can be installed on both flat and sloped roof surfaces, and can be as complicated and expensive to install as a rooftop park, or as simple as a layer of Rockwool or other means affixed to an existing waterproof roof and seeded with Sedum species. and mosses.
Whichever type you decide to install, the benefits to both you and the environment are numerous, including:
Benefits for you:
- Provides great insulation, lowering your energy bills.
- Generated evaporative cooling reduces air conditioning loads by up to 90%
- Great sound insulation
- Drastic increase in roof life
- Increase property value
Environmental benefits:
- Increases energy efficiency, reducing CO2 emissions
- Creates diverse habitat for wildlife, often in habitat-poor areas of urban wilderness
- Reduce storm runoff
- Filters both air and runoff water, removing contaminants and increasing purity
- A concentration of living roofs can combat the urban island heat effect, reducing city temperatures.
So, in summary, green roofs are a practical roofing solution that provides many environmental benefits and benefits to the users of the building in which they are installed. While they cost a little more to install than a regular roof installation, they pay off handsomely over time in reduced energy bills and longer roof life. A green roof will also add value to your property