Green roofs are fashion forward and eco-friendly

 

A green roof can be as simple as a 2-inch covering of groundcover or as complex as any gardener is willing to care for.  In building a green roof, light weight materials are used to keep the roof strong.  Often times, the best materials for construction are the ones that normally would have been thrown into the landfill, but still have potential by being reused.  The materials used in green roofs will need to be able to weather through the elements including UV rays, water load, snow and vegetative root growth.  Basic construction involves several layers, beginning with a structural layer at the bottom.  A membrane that is several layers thick is applied to insulate the roof while also preventing roots from growing through and providing drainage and aeration.  Next, a light soil is applied and special composts that are preferable over ordinary soil should be used since water is retained better.

 

 

A green roof will save energy for the homeowner because it creates a microclimate that can lower the internal temperature of the building, as well as the outside of the building.  This cooling occurs through a process known as evapotranspiration.  In fact, if enough homes in one neighborhood had green roofs, the entire area's temperature would be reduced.  This is particularly important in warm locations that suffer from heat spells and rely heavily on air conditioning.  One of the reasons temperature is so well regulated is due to the fact that a rooftop lawn will not rise above 77 degrees Fahrenheit whereas an ordinary roof can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit, especially when flat.  At the same rate, during the winter when heat is needed in the home, the green roof acts as an insulator and prevents heat from escaping.  This is especially helpful when turning on the heater or lighting a fire to keep the home warm because less energy will be necessary to maintain favorable interior temperatures.  The reduced reliance on oil, gas, propane and electricity will help lower the world's carbon footprint and the homeowner's utility bill.  If a town or city adopted the use of green roofs, millions of dollars in energy costs could be saved and dramatically cut megawatt usage.

 

 

Another benefit that green roofs offer is how they naturally control pollution.  By keeping the high temperatures at bay, hot air drafts that throw up pollution particles into the air are less likely.  Plants also remove air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions through their processes.  If trees are planted on the rooftop, then the addition of oxygen to the air is also an added benefit.

 

 

In addition to pollution being controlled, green roofs also help alleviate the amount of storm water in areas and thereby remove the burden from gutters, streets, parking lots and the like.  When a heavy rain storm comes in, a green roof retains most of the storm water within its vegetative core.  Water runoff is typically problematic in areas of high traffic, so cities that implement green roofs into their infrastructure can really take advantage of how runoff is slowed down to a more manageable level. 

 

 

The adoption of green roof technology is one that shouldn't come hard since rooftop gardens and lawns can be beautiful to look at.  They offer an aesthetic value to a neighborhood, which can lower stress.  The lush vegetative growth on top of a roof also provides habitat for many insect and animal species as well. With all the benefits taken in account that green roofs give, this type of roof structure is sure to become increasingly more popular, if not, the futuristic norm.