Simple Extensive Green Roof

A green roof is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system that is installed on top of a flat or slightly sloped roof.

Simple extensive green roof.

Extensive green roofs are generally made up of a very thin layer of soil or other planting medium with shallow root plants like sedum mosses and grasses. 1 extensive vegetative roofs which are 6 inches or shallower and are frequently designed to satisfy specific engineering and performance goals and 2 intensive vegetative roofs which may become quite deep and merge into more familiar on structure plaza landscapes with promenades lawn large perennial plants and trees. I liked the idea of having a bit more greenery in the property we live. The planting medium in extensive green roofs ranges from 1 6 to 6 inches deep and while deeper systems have been installed they are not favored as much as the shallower systems drought tolerant sedums succulent plants and grasses are the typical plants used since they are shallow rooted and use little water plant diversity on these roofs is kept low to simplify care and to be sure all plants have similar moisture requirements.

While redeveloping our house we decided to install a living roof on our kitchen roof why you ask. These areas need appropriate vegetation that will make them low maintenance and self sustaining. What is a green roof. Although there are no precise definitions of them an extensive green roof has a shallow growing medium usually less than six inches with a modest roof load limited plant diversity minimal.

Other options are substrate based systems that are plug planted to the client s requirement or seeded for natural colonisation. Make a normal flat or sloped roof into a beautiful living garden. In many instances an extensive green roof can be a planning requisite and the ideal solution is the simplest lightweight sedum blanket system. Besides the visual impact of an extensive green roof they also provide a natural habitat for birds and insects.

To start with take a look at the most simple family of green roofs. Green roofs are also known as vegetative or eco roofs. They fall into three main categories extensive intensive and semi intensive. Any large slope or flat roof that s hard to reach makes a great area for this kind of vegetation as nature will take care of itself.

With an extensive green roof vegetation is thinner 1 6 to five inches thick and lighter with appropriate plants that will make them low maintenance and self sustaining. From a distance an extensive sedum roof can be mistaken for a grass field. There are three basic types of green roof system. Build a living roof green roof.

Semi intensive system requires some maintenance from time to time.