Green, green grass! Kind of…

A great way to inject a little bit of nature into the busy city skyline or maybe you just want to reap the cost benefits that come from a fully functioning green roof?!

Many large commercial properties now take advantage of installing a green roof - this is mainly due to the expanse of roof they have, which obviously means they gain greatly from it. One example of this is the Newton building at Nottingham Trent University that has approximately 2,500sqm worth of sedum varieties that have become an ecosystem for insects and larger wildlife…

But how can a Green Roof really help us and our homes?

Benefits

There are some pretty obvious benefits however know that the main things that put people off seems to be cost and installation due to it being quite specialist. However I feel like the future home will include a lot more sustainable elements and why not install the best looking one!

• Reduced energy use (better heat retention in the home) = Reduced energy cost

• Increased insulation

• Reduced CO2 emissions - Climate Change Mitigation

• Longer lifespan for your roof

• Improved aesthetics

• If an accessible green roof is installed = more garden space = better value property

• Improved acoustic quality

• Improved air quality

• Improved water quality

• Ability for water collection - Use alongside water harvesting system

• Use alongside Solar Panel energy system

• Increased biodiversity and wildlife

Types of Roofs

1. Extensive Green Roof

   • Shallow installation (20mm-100mm deep)

   • Low maintenance

   • Lightweight

   • Mainly sedum/moss

2. Semi-Extensive Green Roof

   • Shallow installation (20mm-100mm deep)

   • Low maintenance

   • Wider variety of plants

3. Intensive Green Roof

   • Deep installation

   • These are made to be used as a standard ground floor garden would be.

   • This means the substrate is made to support shrubs as well as small trees!

   • If you want extra usable garden this will allow just that!

   • Higher maintenance

   • Heavy weight

4. Biodiverse Green Roof

   • Deep installation

   • Made to encourage wildlife, insects and range of plants.

   • Create a small sustainable ecosystem.

   • This may aid planning authorities decisions as it helps the wider environment which otherwise has been lost to construction e.g. within cities.

   • This type takes a lot of planning in order to install and accommodate for the wildlife that will become habitants.

Installation

Now this varies dependant on what type of green roof you’d be going for and whether or not you’re a DIY-er or getting the professionals in however I’ve chucked in below a good resource on a simple green roof that can be retrofitted on existing roofs!

Obviously you need to do lots of research and seek advice for what’s best for each situation and what you want to get out of it too…

Costs

The big question which will really see if it is possible for you to become a green roofer is money money money…

‘The cost will vary with the green roof system and the particular situation. As a guide, prices can vary from £50/m² for a sedum roof to £200/m² for a fully planted intensive roof — the cost of any reinforcement needed to the roof and/or wall structures is additional to this.’ according to Home Building site in 2020.

Check these out!

As usual, here’s some useful links:

• Home Building

• Green Roof Guide

• Self-Build Green Roofs

• Green Roofers - Type of Green Roofs

• The Green Roof Centre - FAQs

Hit me up if you’ve got your own little garden over your head or if you love the idea!