Green Roof Design Layers

Flat green roof design considerations.

Green roof design layers. The intent of this guide is to provide information regarding the state of the art of vegetative roof design and construction. This is especially true of intensive green roofs which can have soil that is two feet deep or more. When constructing a flat green roof the design aspect is much simpler. A green roof needs to be designed to hold enough water for the plants and to efficiently direct excess water off the roof.

A pitched roof reduces the risk of water penetrating the roof structure allowing the use of fewer waterproofing and drainage layers. However the difference between green roofs and an actual green roof is that a green roof comes with various layers. A vegetated landscape built up from a series of layers that are installed on a roof surface as loose laid or modular that is installed layer by layer on the roof or as pre prepared layers in trays green roofs are constructed for multiple reasons as spaces for people to use as architectural features to add value to property or to achieve particular environmental benefits for. To make this process work various green roof layers are created to give it the most effective and solid chance of being.

In short a green roof is made to purposely grow grass. The design of the different drainage layers allows for a portion of the stormwater to be retained above where the water is allowed to flow freely off of the roof. Installing green roof layers will not only make your home look beautiful but also keep it warmer which will help you in reduction of electricity cost that you have to spend on heating bills. All these layers work in a cycle to provide protection to your property as well as allow healthy growth for plants.

It also has plants and the like on top. Green roof layers a typical green roof begins with a quality waterproof membrane a root barrier the drainage layer the soil referred to as media and plants. Vegetative roofs also known as green roofs are thin layers of living vegetation installed on top of conventional flat or sloping roofs. Pitched green roof design considerations.

As a rule of thumb a pitch under 10 degrees is normal for green roofs where a minimum fall of 1 60 can help encourage drainage. The systems are designed to ensure that stormwater can be used by plants for longer periods of time without oversaturation of the system. The media will detain some. One important item to design for is an increased structural load.

Green roofs are suitable for any pitch of roof. If stormwater is not properly drained it will pool and create structural risks.