5 Of The Lesser Known Green Roof Benefits

There are several forms of green roof systems which can be installed on to your roof to allow this to happen and there are a number of green roof components.

Green roofs and living walls are a great way of providing an attractive, useful, environmentally friendly open space on an otherwise ‘lost’ flat roof or podium deck. 

Benefits not always considered by developers, including:

1. Improving the local environment by providing wildlife habitats
2. Improving sound and thermal insulation
3. Reducing the amount and speed of rainwater run-off by around 50% and forming part of a SUDS design
4. Reducing the “heat island” effect in built-up areas and helping to improve air quality and environment
5. Protecting the structure and waterproofing systems from UV, impact and abrasion, plant and bird infestation on the membrane

The 3 main versions of green roof systems are below, click on each one to find out more details of the individual green roof components:

Modular Green Roof System

Modular green roof systems are particularly well suited for a smaller green roof & will not need to be installed by a professional installer. Modular green roof systems are very easy to assemble as they come as complete pre-grown units. They are already very robust & well established, so there is less risk of wind uplift or erosion in the crucial time period just after installation.

For more information on the M-Tray® modular green roof solution from Wallbarn, please click here.

Component Green Roof or Brown Roof

Component green roof systems are another variation & have been designed for larger, more extensive green roofs. The vegetation used in component green roof systems can be grass, sedum blankets, sedum/wildflower mixes, herbs or bio-diverse (brown roof) plants; each layer or component is supplied separately in bag or roll form and installed separately as a “dry” build-up. This allows easy access to roof areas. This system is ideal for large scale areas, unlevel or more complicated decks as it is flexible and “built into” the existing structure.

This system is designed for extensive green roofs with a substrate level of between 70mm and 200mm.

Living Walls

Offering all the advantages of green roofs in terms of added value, water attenuation and insulation. Living walls are a slightly newer variation of green roof systems. They offer all the advantages of green roofs in terms of added value, water attenuation & insulation but with the added bonus of being able to produce more natural space is often restricted areas. They are low maintenance, extremely attractive, highly visible & completely versatile.

If you would like further information regarding the modular green roof kits available from Wallbarn or would like to speak to someone directly please contact us.