Green Roofs
As vegetated green roofs become more popular, it’s worth taking a closer look at how they are put together, how long they last, and where the materials in a green roof are sourced.
My research involved making sample sections of green roofs at true scale with the real materials, and then observing them outdoors over a 2-year period. I also investigated the roofing materials to determine recycled content, recyclability, durability, and local-ness–how far away the materials had to travel to get to the Triangle region of North Carolina. Using those factors, I rated 3 types of relatively local vegetated green roof assemblies.
The 3 roof assemblies were: XeroFlor, an extensive, 1.5″ deep roof planted with fully carpeting sedums; AmerGreen, an extensive, 3″ deep roof planted with sedum ‘plugs’ (single plants not fully carpeting the roof); and Hydrotech, an intensive, 6″ deep roof planted with rosemary herbs.
As part of the research for assembling the roofs, I traveled to a few vegetated green roof product companies in North Carolina–those making roofing materials and plants to go on the roofs. I also traveled to several existing vegetated green roofs in the Triangle region. The green roofs I visited ranged from an institutional, deep soiled roof in Chapel Hill to a rooftop DIY garden-planted roof in Durham.
My research involved making sample sections of green roofs at true scale with the real materials, and then observing them outdoors over a 2-year period. I also investigated the roofing materials to determine recycled content, recyclability, durability, and local-ness–how far away the materials had to travel to get to the Triangle region of North Carolina. Using those factors, I rated 3 types of relatively local vegetated green roof assemblies.
The 3 roof assemblies were: XeroFlor, an extensive, 1.5″ deep roof planted with fully carpeting sedums; AmerGreen, an extensive, 3″ deep roof planted with sedum ‘plugs’ (single plants not fully carpeting the roof); and Hydrotech, an intensive, 6″ deep roof planted with rosemary herbs.
As part of the research for assembling the roofs, I traveled to a few vegetated green roof product companies in North Carolina–those making roofing materials and plants to go on the roofs. I also traveled to several existing vegetated green roofs in the Triangle region. The green roofs I visited ranged from an institutional, deep soiled roof in Chapel Hill to a rooftop DIY garden-planted roof in Durham.