If the roof is occupied, additional maintenance should be accounted for to make sure the roof is safe and comfortable. Another term for these green roofs is “rooftop garden.” Whilst intensive green roofs are more formal spaces they can provide inherent benefit for biodiversity. How to Set Up Your Website PortfolioA free guide to hosting your own website potfolio. However, this depth also means that an intensive green roof adds a lot of weight to a building, which your architect or structural engineer will need to account for. This is most noticeable in intensive green roofs since there is a thicker and more consistent layer of soil, which provides a higher insulating value. The Urban Heat Island Effect We will provide a description of the three main types of green roofs: intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive. This leads to lower ambient temperatures in the microclimate surrounding buildings. Fertilizers are also not required except in rare instances where weeds need to be controlled. EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOFS Extensive green roofs provide a light-weight, low maintenance, instant ‘green effect’ roof solution, and are the most common type of green roof we supply. But this rooftop garden type also requires intensive care, with regular professional maintenance and advanced irrigation systems. We make sure they remain successful landscapes for years to come. Intensive green roofs offer a great potential for design and biodiversity. Data collected from a study by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University, Center for Green Roof Research shows that green roofs captured almost 60% more rainwater than a standard roof. A properly designed and installed extensive green-roof system can cost $108–$248/m 2 ($10–$23/sq ft) while an intensive green roof costs $355–$2,368/m 2 ($33–$220/sq ft) However, since most of the materials used to build the green roof can be salvaged, it is estimated that the cost of replacing a green roof is generally one third of the initial installation costs. We also provide the benefits and a few things to watch out for when designing green roofs. The soils of a green roof will capture a significant amount of stormwater, which is absorbed and used by the planted material. Urban agriculture on green roofs would be considered an intensive green roof, as they need regular maintenance, relatively deep soils and a certain amount of irrigation. The soil is usually not more than 5" deep and is sometimes contained by a tray system, which provides a barrier to excessive growth, protects the roof membrane, and also interlocks the entire system together to prevent wind damage. GREEN ROOF COSTS AND BENEFITS. In some cases a green roof can also eliminate the need for rain gutters. They require complex structural support and irrigation. They also help manage stormwater runoff in areas with a lot of rainfall and can improve air quality when installed in urban environments or on large, city-wide scales. Learn more by reading through the advantages and disadvantages of green roofs: Advantages . Intensive green roofs typically cost twice as much to install as extensive green roofs because of their thicker, more complex assembly. When in cooling mode, HVAC equipment must pre–cool outside air to get it to the required temperature. The wide variety of benefits include environmental, economic and even social advantages. Garden Roof® Assembly: Intensive - The landscape possibilities with an Intensive Garden Roof® Assembly are virtually limitless. Green roofs can help reduce stormwater run-off, mitigate the urban heat island effect and clean the air, benefits that accrue to the community. That’s one less thing to worry about cleaning and maintaining around the house. Best Architecture BooksOur list of the top reference books for architects - these are the ones we have on our shelf. It can support small home gardens, playgrounds, full-scale parks, and even vegetable gardens. The owner should understand that a green roof requires routine landscape maintenance, which can vary from occasional to regular and can add a significant ongoing cost. Intensive – These roof types can support trees, shrubs, and even benches. Of course, this comes with a steeper price tag due to the additional weight and root barriers needed. A green roof may include components of these two types of green roof systems and be referred to as either semi-intensive or semi-extensive green roof. Intensive green roofs use a variety of plant species, which may include trees and shrubs. Any water that is released is done so at a slower and more consistent rate, which helps prevent flooding and runoff that can be destructive to the surrounding environment. Semi-intensive systems generally weigh between 25 and 40 pounds per square foot when dry. While the benefits of green roofs aren’t widely recognized in North America yet, green roofs are popular in Europe. Regular Roof Green Roof Expand roof life 2x3 times (up to 60 years) In addition to the mosses, grasses, and sedum of extensive roofs, semi-intensive plantings include herbs, flowering plants, taller grasses, and small shrubs. With rising energy costs and the threat of climate change, many people are choosing to utilize green roof designs for their homes. To reap green roof benefits, you need to choose which type of green roof you want to install. Plants for Green Roofs The biggest benefit of extensive green roofs is that they need very little maintenance. In addition, to the benefits of removing pollutants, green roofs can also provide climate change mitigation through managing temperature. Combining a green roof and solar panels may actually benefit both installations by providing shade for the green roof plants, and lower temperatures for the solar panels which can boost efficiency. Extensive green roofs are not usually intended for general public access, and are chosen mostly for their ecological benefits. That is roughly similar to eliminating a year’s worth of carbon dioxide emitted by 10,000 midsize SUVs and trucks. For instance, it may be inconvenient to take a lawnmower to the roof on a weekly basis if there is an area of grass that requires regular trimming. A green roof is one that is covered – either partially or completely – with vegetation. Extensive green roofs are generally made up of a very thin layer of soil or other planting medium with shallow-root plants like sedum, mosses, and grasses. When the temperature of the roof is reduced, so is the temperature of the building interior. Maintenance is also important to consider when designing a green roof. Intensive systems allow the designer to create a park-like setting so they are the best option for roof gardens that will be occupied. An extensive green roof generally costs between $10 to $24 per square foot. Reduces runoff and improves water quality. Many jurisdictions now require building owners to collect stormwater in infiltration basins that clean and slowly release the water back into the ground to help reduce the burden on the sewer systems - green roofs help do this naturally without the need for special infiltration basins or equipment. 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