Here are his insights on installing living roofs from both a designer s and a homeowner s point of view.
Homeowner is considering installation of a green roof that.
Depending on the type of green roof you install the plants may be modular or have drainage layers.
If you as a homeowner have plans for solar in the future discuss those plans with your roofing contractor the next time you roof your home.
A green roof system is an addition made to the roof of an existing building for growing flora.
You ll likely need to start with a structural engineer to be sure your roof can handle the extra weight which can be up to 40 pounds per square foot after it rains.
Removing a roof costs between 1 to 5 per square foot.
Installation costs run higher if you need to replace your existing roof.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that a green roof should not negatively impact the building s historic character.
Capping your roof with plants however takes more than just planting.
The gravel around many green roofs is a fire break.
It replaces the ecology the new house sits upon thereby replacing the habitat that a house takes away.
A metal upstand can be used in place of gravel.
Can you collect water runoff from a green roof.
Living roofs can work on flat or sloped roofs though flat roofs are more common.
A green roof is in ecological terms a great and simple thing to do.
The green roof centre in sheffield recommends 50cm wide gravel fire breaks should be provided around any openings penetrating the roof surface and around the edges of the roof.
Save photo whom to hire.
Depending upon the type of roof you choose to have installed it may be possible for the installer to take steps now that will simplify solar installation in the future.
Insulating pollution deterring and most of all aesthetically pleasing green roofs are the natural organic thing of the future.
This means you can consider a house green roof or growing a green roof on an extension or conservatory.
Flat roofs are an easier option from a green roof construction point of view but living roofs are able to grow on pitched roofs too.
However all green roofs include a few important features such as waterproofing and root repellent to keep the structure safe and undamaged.
Green roof installation cost.
Things to do before installing a green roof.
Large enough green roofs such as commercial vegetative roofs may even reduce the risk of local flooding during heavy rain.
This absorption of stormwater also improves local water quality.
Used over a whole roof a green roof will be the single overriding design influence on the house as well as impacting on the construction right down to the foundations.
A green roof absorbs 60 to 100 percent of the stormwater that falls on it according to michigan state.