Green Roofs
A green roof is a low-maintenance vegetated roof system that reduces stormwater runoff by absorbing and retaining the water in the soil medium for plant growth. As a result, much less water runs off the roof, as compared to conventional rooftops. They are easy to incorporate into new construction, and can be used on many existing buildings as well. Green roofs are constructed on top of existing roofs and include four basic components: a waterproofing layer, a drainage layer, a growing medium, and vegetation.These low-growing plants work well as they don’t need supplemental watering after establishment, except in extreme conditions, and they usually only require weeding once or twice a year. In addition to reducing the amount of roof runoff, the plants filter pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air and rain water.
Another added benefit of green roofs include reduced heating and cooling needs and associated costs. Green roofs are likely to last much longer-up to twice as long-than conventional roofs, since the roofing material itself is shielded from ultraviolet light and thermal stress. Bonus: green roofs can reduce noise pollution and also serve as living habitats for birds and other wildlife!
Additional Resources
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Green Roofs
Ice Breaker Speaker Series presentation. Videotaped 2/8/19 Learn about the multiple benefits of green roofs! Nathan Griswold, President of the Traverse City-based Inhabitect, LLC, and green roof guru, shares his expertise on why green roofs are so important and how they provide triple bottom-line benefits. He also shares what everyone should know if they are considering installing a green roof on their house, garage, place of business, or even garden shed. |
SEMCOG’s Low Impact Development Manual for Michigan: A Design Guide for Implementers and Reviewers
http://www.swmpc.org/downloads/lidmanual.pdf p. 301 – 314 LiveRoof http://www.liveroof.com/ LiveRoof is a proven, patented hybrid green roof system, installed on millions of square feet and over a thousand projects worldwide. Inhabitect www.inhabitect.com Inhabitect is a full-service firm devoted to designing, building and growing all forms of living architecture. |
