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Green Roof Installation – Planning Considerations

March 18th, 2022

When planning a green roof, there are a few things you need to think about prior to installation:

What is the load of your structural support? Every structure will have a maximum weight it can support so this is extremely important to know and workaround. Remember to allow for snow loading and unseasonal rainfall in weight calculations, as the green roof could hold/absorb considerable additional weight during high precipitation.

Roof pitch for optimum drainage: it is very important that your roof allows for free drainage into suitable drainage outlets so the plants do not become waterlogged. A well-designed green roof can be a tremendous asset to a building with terrific insulation properties, helping to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which in turn helps to reduce your building’s heating and cooling bills. Our modular green roof can be installed on roofs pitched at an angle of up to 15 degrees.

Light & wind – most sedum plants require direct sunlight or, at worst, semi-shaded conditions. They will not survive long-term in very shaded areas. Equally, areas of high wind or saline conditions will affect the type of plants you can use, so care should be taken to ensure the species are suitable for the conditions.

Purpose served by your green roof: is it simply for environmental purposes or do you wish to create a space which you can enjoy to the full? Are you seeking colour? Year-round greening? Bio-diversity?

Maintenance & irrigation – green roofs will require some maintenance at least twice a year, and during periods of very high temperatures and no rainfall. irrigation is recommended. Try to allow for this in your plans.

What look are you hoping to achieve with your green roof? Green roofs can be aesthetically pleasing to a building’s inhabitants and visitors and really can help to lift a neighbourhood. So it is important to think about how you want your green roof to appear from the outset. Would you prefer just a sedum roof – albeit containing several varieties of sedum – or one with wildflower sown with the sedum? Do you want an aluminium edging surround? And a pebble surround? These and other accessories might be considered.

What budget do you have? The creation of a green roof is initially more expensive than traditional roofing materials but there are many benefits to make up for it. The savings to the environment and on energy costs can be tremendous over time. The price you pay will largely depend upon the style of green roof you opt for.

Pitch – if not a flat roof, consider your roof’s pitch…

What is the level of required access? Although all green roofs need to have some access for maintenance purposes, some of them really are rooftop gardens and there for the family to enjoy. You need to think about how much access will be needed when you start on your green roof design.

After answering all of these, questions you will have some idea of the best design for a green roof on your property. They are becoming increasingly popular and can provide a fabulous feature for your property just so long as you have thought things through properly.

What makes the M-Tray® unique?

Our M-Tray® has been specifically designed to make sedum roof installation quick and easy – with minimum disruption to the plants and the structure they are going onto – and to provide a seamless, verdant finish – an instant and sustainable green roof.