The 6th of June is celebrated as Green Roof Day in order to commemorate environment-friendly green space on rooftops. People all over the world have been shifting to greener terraces and roofs since time immemorial. But what are green roofs and do they really benefit the environment?
A green roof is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system which has been retrofitted on top of a flat, or slightly-pitched roof. This green roof takes advantage of what we know about plantations in soil-less mixes to create a significantly lighter-weighing garden.
There are three main types of green roofs. An Extensive Green Roof has a modest roof-load with a small, limited variety of plants. An Intensive Green Roof has deeper soil and growing medium with a diverse variety including small trees. A Semi-Intensive Green Roof includes characteristics from both extensive and intensive roofs.
As a step forward to a sustainable and eco-friendly world, the green roofs are designed to support eco-friendly architecture and add a more practical element to your green space. Along with the aesthetic appeal and cooling benefits, your eco-friendly home gets nature’s touch in a concrete city. You see, if most of the building plans and homes in a city will use this technique, it will add to the eco-friendly schemes of architecture, and not to mention, that sounds like a very beautiful city indeed!
The green roof also increases the value of a property, especially in urban areas with less green space. The insulation effects reduce the load on cooling devices and, in turn, help save energy. It also improves stormwater management, as the green roof is able to control as well as retain stormwater. Moreover, due to lesser and lesser green patches, and more impervious surfaces, precipitation generally flows down into drains and results in floods. For a change, green roofs increase the green patches of a city and help in water retention.
Urban Heat Island Effect is a phenomenon which states that urban areas are hotter than their surrounding rural areas. This is because the paved surfaces absorb solar radiation and re-radiate it as heat, increasing the local air temperature. Green roofs help absorb heat and also use solar radiation to evaporate water from plant roots. This process helps cool down the temperature of the roof and the air surrounding it.
Do you have a roof that you can call ‘Green’? How are you celebrating World Green Roof Day this month? Let us know!