4 Things to Consider Before Installing a Green Roof

When it comes to being environmentally-friendly, there are many ways you can do your part. Installing a green roof is one of these options. However, before you go ahead with the installation, there are four main things you should be considering in your decision.

Assess Your Sunlight Availability

It’s no surprise to anyone that plants require some sunlight to grow. Some plants can live on little sunlight, while others may need lots of it to thrive. Assessing how much sunlight your roof gets is a major factor in deciding what type of plants will be installed in your green roof. If your roofing area gets an ample amount of direct sunlight throughout the day, then you can use a variety of plants in your roofing system. If your roof doesn’t get a lot of direct sunlight throughout the day, then you’ll need to limit the plants you use to those which require little sunlight to grow.

Water-Resistant

When it comes to installing a green roof, you must consider waterproofing as a key component of having a safe roof. You don’t want to be dealing with roof leaks in the near future as they can lead to structural problems very quickly. Ensure your green roof installer will be adding a waterproof membrane to the roof itself to create a much-needed barrier. The membrane should be applied in multiple layers to ensure maximum protection.

Decide Your Level of Maintenance

Green roofs can be sorted into two main categories. These include intensive and extensive. Intensive green roof systems require a lot of maintenance. Extensive green roof systems, on the other hand, require little maintenance. You should make a clear decision on the level of maintenance that you want to have when it comes to your roofing system as this decision will affect many other decisions regarding your green roof system.

Measure Your Incline

The slope of your roof plays a big role in the growing availability of your rooftop system. Flat roofs make the best growing environment for your plants as it contains moisture in the soil very effectively. If your roof is sloped, you should ensure that the inclination is no more than 30 degrees. Anything over 30 degrees makes it very difficult for the soil to maintain adequate moisture levels.

Making the decision to employ a green roof at your building is one that you should be proud of. However, it’s important to realize that the roof environment has to be one that fits the ideal standards for growing plants and should have waterproofing done. The above four factors will play a big role in your roof’s ability to maintain a green garden.