Green Roof Medium

A well designed green roof with proper drainage and water proofing will provide the expected results.

Green roof medium.

A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium planted over a waterproofing membrane it may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. The extensive green roof lightweight cost effective and probably the most popular of the green roofs. Container gardens on roofs where plants are maintained in pots are not generally considered to be true green roofs although. In general the bulk of the water storage in a green roof buildup is in the growing medium.

Green roof systems may be modular with drainage layers filter cloth growing media and plants already prepared in movable often. They can sustain shrubs trees walkways and benches with their complex structural support irrigation drainage and root protection layers. Green roof growing medium is composed of mineral aggregates and only a small amount of organic material. Intensive green roofs are essentially elevated parks.

Soil tests are integral part of the process and. The foot or more of growing medium needed for an intensive green roof creates a load of 80 150 pounds 36 68 kilograms per square foot. A green roof system is an extension of the existing roof which involves at a minimum high quality water proofing root repellent system drainage system filter cloth a lightweight growing medium and plants. A good green roof medium is made up of a well developed soil blends.

It should have good consistent drainage and aeration with a structure that enables it to hold water.