Are Vegetative Roofs Right For You?
Green roofs or vegetative roofs contain soil and living vegetation rather than shingles and other metal components. Having vegetative roofs offers numerous benefits, such as reduced energy costs, urban heat effect, sound insulation, stormwater management, and additional building value and aesthetics. However, to determine whether vegetative roofs are right for you, your roofing contractor will walk through a few different factors.
Climate
Your roofing contractor might view climate as the utmost consideration in identifying the suitability of vegetative roofs for your building. Temperate climates are obviously suitable for vegetative roofs. However, building one in a cold climate invokes unique set of challenges. For one, the structure needs to withstand extreme weather conditions. Rainfall patterns also affect whether you'll end up providing more water rather than benefiting from water preservation capabilities of vegetative roofs. Choose vegetative roofs if the climate in your area is not extreme and weather patterns can sustain the water needs of plants in the roof.
Existing Structure Suitability
Moreover, your roofing contractor will also consider the building's structure. Given the weight of soil and the moisture it will absorb and the vegetation, the strength of the supporting structure must be extensive. The building's supporting structure must be able to sustain this massive weight atop. Moreover, the size, slope, height, and orientation of the roof must be able to hold off the soil and water flow during rain. Your roofing contractor will also check for the drainage elements such as drains, drain sheets, buried conduits, and scuppers. The overall structure of the building is an important safety consideration when installing vegetative roofs.
Budget for Installation and Maintenance
Depending on many factors, installing vegetative roofs can be material and labor intensive. Much like a garden, it also requires extensive maintenance. Thus, your budget for installation and long-term maintenance are also considered by your roofing contractor. Nonetheless, vegetative roofs are known to have generous financial incentives and make return on investment more visible. For example, the selling value of buildings with vegetative roofs significantly increases. Other source of financial ROI is stormwater management and water conservation and recycling capabilities and reduced energy costs and urban heat island effects.
Vegetative roofs have numerous benefits ranging from reduce energy costs to aesthetics. However, for some, installing and maintaining vegetative roofs entails significant efforts and resources. Consult with your trusted roofing services contractor to ask whether vegetative roofs are right for you. Climate, existing structure, and budget are just few of the considerations. Contact a company, like Roof Right, for more help.
