Earlier on this website I said that I had no idea what a green roof, and that was the truth.  These are my preliminary findings. Later on did I fid the many, many benefits of these fantastic roofs.

 

The first question I asked myself was,

WHAT ON EARTH IS A GREEN ROOF?

Well, I would say a green roof is like what it sounds. It is a roof of a building that is green because of vegetation. To be more precise, a green roof is as a system where a vegetated area becomes part of the building's roof. This includes vegetation, a growing medium, a filter layer, a drainage layer, a root resistance layer and a waterproof membrane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next question I asked myself was,

ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GREEN ROOFS?

Yes, there are. There three types of green roofs and they are, simple, intensive, intensive and extensive

1. Extensive Green Roofs - designed for environmental solutions

	3- 6" of light weight growing medium.
	low-maintenance ground-cover plants.
	ideal for large flat-roof buildings and apartments.
	suitable for low-sloped residential roofs and retrofits.
	desert grasses and succulent plants.
	after one year, they do not require watering.
	annual spring weeding of tree seedlings & weeds - brought in by birds and wind.

Whistler Daycare Centre: Extensive green roofs are ideal for schools, industrial parks, large big-box stores and multi-family housing.

 

2. Intensive Green Roofs - also known as rooftop gardens

	8-12 inches, or more, of growing medium.
	fully landscaped roof top garden.
	require regular maintenance -similar to an at-grade garden.
	diverse plants and trees can be planted (avoid plants with invasive root systems).
	walkways, railings and lighting.
	parks, playgrounds or vegetable gardens are possible.

3. Semi-intensive Green Roofs - elements of both extensive and intensive systems

Semi-intensive roofs, combinations of both extensive and intensive green roofs, are typically adopted to harness both the environmental benefits of a green roof, as well as a diverse garden within a manageable maintenance budget.