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What is a Green Roof?

I realize that I should really start at the beginning, for those of you out there that would like to know what a green roof is.  Many of us have heard the term, but some people are just beginning to get acquainted with the Green Roof.  A green roof is simply this:  A roof that uses plants and "soil" (commonly referred to as the growing medium) as a roofing material instead of shingles or concrete or other more conventional roofing materials.  Here are some examples of green roofs:

These vegetated roofs can range in size from the small woodland home above, to the enormous Janelia Farms Research Campus at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the last photo.  All green roofs boast the benefits listed in my last post, but did you know that a green roof is likely a 40 year roof when built correctly?  Conventional roofs are typically 20 year roofs!  These roofs last longer because the growing media ("soil") and plants insulate the roof and protect it from the usual expansion and contraction that freezing and thawing, as well as extreme temperatures, subject a roof to.  So while your green roof is protecting you and lowering your energy bill by virtue of its enhanced insulating ability, it is also protecting the structure and the membrane beneath it.  The immediate response to this information is almost always: "Yeah, but how much does it cost?!"  This is an excellent question, and one that can be answered easily:  It costs more initially, but saves you a lot in the long run.  You've got to remember when comparing a green roof to a conventional one, that you are getting double the roof life with a green roof and your cost comparison analysis should reflect that.  

Something to think about:  Did you know that the buildings that would benefit most from green roofs are the "Big Box" type buildings like the kind Home Depot, Target and Wal Mart occupy?  The storm water run off impact from buildings that have such a large area of impermeable surface is enormous.  The cost to the developer to construct a storm water retention area is great and growing all the time, the storm water retention area is usually an unattractive empty pond surrounded by a chain link fence and unfortunately their effectiveness is in question.  A green roof would not only significantly lower the building's heating and cooling impact (the story directly below the green roof realizes the greatest energy savings) but would reduce the storm water run-off in the summer months by approximately 70 - 100% and 40 - 50% in the winter months.  Incorporating a green roof into the building plan would result in a healthier environment for those of us who live near one of these stores, as well as an increased building envelope, decreased SWRP (Storm Water Retention Pond) responsibility for the developer.  Good for the environment and good for the economy: A win - win.

WELCOME!

The benefits of a green, or vegetated roof are many, but one that is the most easily identifiable is that they can be extremely beautiful.  We'll be featuring many roofs on this blog, but the one behind our header is the Diane von Furstenburg studio roof in Manhattan, NY.  It is a fantastic example of a roof that is successfully managing storm water run-off, creating habitat for birds and bugs, helping to reduce the urban heat island effect and increasing satisfaction and productivity within the work space (yes, this is a documented statistic!).  Please join us for weekly posts featuring green roofs and green walls.