What are some general criteria for green roofs?
Determine what areas of roof can be vegetated and what areas need to remain vegetation free
- resist wind uplift and scour;
- reduce fire risk associated with air intakes or proximity to flammable materials and equipment;
- provide access for roof maintenance related issues;
How deep does a green roof need to be?
Extensive Green roofs don’t need to be deep as the recommended plants such as sedum, wildflowers and herbs don’t root deeply. As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to have a soil depth of at least 100mm. For example, 60mm of substrate (soil) and 20mm of pre-vegetated mats.
What is the maximum pitch for a green roof?
Green roofs are suitable for any pitch of roof. However, when dealing with a sloped green roof with a pitch of more than 9.5°, you’ll need a design solution for retaining water and ensuring the substrate stays in place. There is no steepest pitch for a green roof – they can even grow vertically.
What can I plant on a green roof?
Top Ten Green Roof Plants
- White stonecrop – Sedum album. When viewed en-mass, the flowers of Sedum album look like swathes of candyfloss.
- Widow’s cross – Sedum pulchellum.
- Meadow saxifrage – Saxifraga granulata.
- Two row stonecrop – Sedum spurium.
- Birdsfoot trefoil.
- Houseleeks.
- Sea thrift.
- Oregano.
Can you put solar panels on a green roof?
Solar/Photovoltiac panels can work more efficiently on a roof when installed over a green roof system. The micro-climate around the panels is important. If it is too hot, the panels can lose efficiency. The PV panels should also increase the diversity of vegetation and therefore also fauna using the green roof.
How much load does a green roof add?
You can expect the loading to be upwards of 250Kg per square metre. This is quite a lot, especially if your building is an average garden shed. As such, you may want to consider strengthening the walls of your structure and the roof deck before installing the green roof.
What are 2 benefits of the green rooftop?
Green roofs provide shade, remove heat from the air, and reduce temperatures of the roof surface and surrounding air. Using green roofs in cities or other built environments with limited vegetation can moderate the heat island effect, particularly during the day.