A 2006 study by the university of michigan comparing costs of conventional and green roofs showed that on average installing a green roof costs about 22 00 sq.
Extensive green roof construction.
Extensive green roofs which are most often used for residential homes do not require watering.
Typically these roofs will have more soil and some small shrubs as well as the low growing wildflowers and sedums found on an extensive roof.
For an extensive green roof the plants should be able to grow in under 5 inches of soil.
Green roofs can help reduce energy costs for a building by acting as another layer of insulation between the inside and outside of the roof.
This is most noticeable in intensive green roofs since there is a thicker and more consistent layer of soil which provides a higher insulating value.
Your roof deck be it concrete or screed will need to be waterproofed.
However semi intensive and intensive roofs do.
A general characterization of the two types of green roofing systems follows.
8 to 20 per square foot.
Plants for an intensive green roof may be able to have a deeper root system.
Green roof components growing media water holding capacity field capacity maximum water capacity astm test.
It also allows for a formal garden to be installed with paths grass lawn and flowers or pot plants.
Extensive green roof an extensive green roof system is characterized of its vegetation ranging from sedums to small grasses herbs and flowering herbaceous plants which need little maintenance and no permanent irrigation system the growing medium depth for an extensive green roof system is typically 6 inches or less.
Intensive roof construction is largely the same but may involve additional elements.
These systems are ideal for efficient stormwater.
15 to 50 per square foot.
Generally there are two types of green roof systems.
Some roofs will already have a waterproof layer.
Step one primary waterproofing layer.
Moisture retained by media that cannot be removed aka wilt point 12 18 typ.
Therefore it is unlikely that a green roof will lead to issues with insurance.
For both of these we need to follow specific green roof construction and maintenance procedures.
Moisture retained by saturated media after free draining 40 60 typ.
Extensive green roofs.
The following steps apply to extensive green roof construction.
Green roof irrigation system.
They are differentiated on the basis of plant selection growing medium type and overall cost.
The government undertook fire tests for green roofs and walls and concluded that the current guidance provided by the green roof code was adequate and extensive green roofs installed following the code would not be deemed a fire risk.