A green roof is often found nowadays as a solution for nature lovers who do not have the luxury or chance to own land or have land near their homes. A waterproof membrane forms the base of a vegetation on the roof, known as green roof in general terms. You will find that building a green roof is little complex but not an impossible task at all. Plants and vegetation growing on the roof of your home will not only reduce the heat that gathers up in the house but also make a significant fall in your electricity bills. Here’s guide that will assist you when you prepare yourself to build a green roof for yourself.
Complexity Level: Complex
Time Required: One Week
Resources Required:
- Asphalt or other waterproof material
- Cellular glass
- Pumice stones or drain matter
- Polymers for filter
- Soil — cleaned or the natural one mixed with clay
- A right choice of the plants that can grow well in your environment
Instructions:
1. Waterproof membrane: You should begin with layering your roof with a waterproof membrane. Waterproof membranes, asphalt and waterproof sheets are few of the options that you can consider for the waterproof layering. Roll on layers of liquid and heavy duty sheets of rubber are also used for the waterproof layer.
2. Root barrier: If you have used some organic materials like asphalt for the waterproof layer, you need to put a root barrier as well. The root barrier ensures that the plants do not penetrate their roots in the waterproof layer for nutrition. Concrete or cellular glass can be used for the root barrier.
3. Drainage layer: Another important layer in your green roof would be the drainage layer. This is essential for the growth and health of your plants and vegetation on your roof. Gravel, lava rocks, pumice rocks and even simple fabrics folded to provide drainage passage can be used for this. You can also opt for porous mats like Enka Drain to create a channel for the excess water to move out to safe places where it no longer harms the vegetation.
4. Filter passage: Now, before you move ahead to the soil layer, you will need a filter fabric that can hold the soil well above the drained put water. This is a layer where the penetration of roots will be easily allowed. Polymers are the best option for this layer.
5. Medium of growth: Now, you can think of the growth layer that is usually soil. Local soil can also be used here but it is not recommended as it brings seeds of weeds along with it. Often artificial materials like clay or sand well topped with cleaned soil are used for green roofs. Alternately, you can also use artificial soils with sand, gravel, pumice or lava. This layer should be at least three inches thick.
6. Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation, as the name indicates, ensures that the vegetation on your green roof has enough moisture for its growth. Drip irrigation gives water to the roots of the plants and thus ensures better development.
7. Plants: Now that you are all set with the essentials of a green roof, let us move on to the plants that should be decorating your hard work. You should keep the local environment and habitat in mind when choosing plants for the green roof. Things like temperature, availability and frequency of sun and rain also affect the choice of vegetation on your green roof. You can choose anything from a flowering plant to a grass that suits the environment of your living region.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What are the plants that can be used on the green roofs?
Sedums, Sempervivum and Delosperma are generally used in the vegetation layer on green roofs. These species are drought tolerant and show good growth in regions with a lot of exposure to the sun. Moreover, these plants require low maintenance and provide a nice sight to the eyes.
2. What’s the difference between an extensive and intensive green roof?
Extensive green roofs are low cost roofs that need less maintenance and offer you lighter roof tops than the intensive living roofs. They have almost no scope for human approach. Intensive green roofs, on the other hand, have heavier base with more number of layers. This makes it possible for a wider range of plants to find a place on your green roof. These roofs need a better and more frequent maintenance. They also provide a better approach as they are flatter in the incline.
Quick Tips:
- Make sure you have a good knowledge of the needs of a particular plant and your environment to ensure you do not face failures in getting a green roof after investing time and money in it.
Things To Watch Out For:
- If you go for a designer’s help, ensure that you do not choose a design that has a lousy drainage system. A good drainage system is very essential for the health of your green roof.
- Do not use herbicides for reducing the growth of roots of your plants. These chemicals tend to reach the root barrier level where they deplete the resources of this layer, reducing its functionality.
