Green roofs or ‘living roofs’ are becoming more popular all the time. Seeing as they’re aesthetically pleasing, durable, functional, and environmentally positive, it’s no wonder. Green roofing is generally made to be low maintenance, as it would be impractical to take frequent or long visits to the roof. However, like any roof, it does require some maintenance to uphold its life expectancy - and this maintenance can differ from other roofs.
Whether you have a green roof or are considering one for your property, you might be wondering what this maintenance looks like. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the different types of green roofs and their maintenance requirements.
The Different Types of Green Roofs
Different people might use many definitions for different types of green roofs. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be looking at the two main types, intensive and extensive green roofs, as well as roofs growing more vulnerable plants like wildflowers.
Extensive Green Roofs - these are the standard, low-maintenance green roofs which consist of resilient plant life, usually sedum.
Intensive Green Roofs - also called ‘roof gardens’, intensive green roofs contain a broader range of plants for greater visual appeal or pedestrian use. They may hold larger shrubs and even trees.
Wildflower Roofs - these green roofs are home to plants that require more care than sedum, but are not necessarily ‘roof gardens’.
Unruly Plants
With all green roofs, one of the main things to keep an eye on is the plants themselves and what’s supposed to be where. For instance, as with any green space, weeds can begin to spread. Green roofs are meant to be wild, so this isn’t a huge problem, but it may disrupt the other plants and overall ecosystem if left unchecked.
Furthermore, some weeds are worse than others. Be sure to identify and remove any tree seedlings. Tree roots are different to other plants’ roots and may potentially be more dangerous to the roof membrane and other parts of your property. While a proper membrane will protect well against roots, tree seedlings can still cause it problems - and green roof replacement can be costly.
You will also want to check that other plant material build-up doesn’t block drainage systems or cause damage to your intended sedum or other roof plants. Continual checkups help you to stay on top of the plant life on your roof.
Watering
To maintain a good-looking green roof, it may be necessary to water. If you have an extensive green roof, it should mostly take care of itself in wetter climates. However, during extended periods of sunshine and high temperatures, it may be necessary to water them a little to keep them healthy.
When it comes to intensive green roofs or wildflower roofs, you may need to water them more often. After two or more weeks of dry, sunny weather and next to no rain, they will start to need attention.
At the same time, be careful not to overwater your green roof. This can put too much pressure on the membrane causing it damage, and potentially damp or leaking problems in your roof later on.
For questions or quotes on green roof construction, contact your local roofing company. For those in East Central Scotland, including Edinburgh, Fife, Borders and Lothians, B & D Roofing and Building are happy to talk you through your green roofing project. Get in touch with us today to discuss your requirements.
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