One of the ancient varieties of roofs is considered green. Previously, buildings were covered with hewn half logs or poles flooring, birch bark in several layers was located on top, and sod was laid on it. In order to prevent it from moving down, a log or board was installed along the ramp. A turf with moss or grass was laid out on top.
Today, the green roof is gaining popularity again. It has an attractive appearance and retains heat inside the building, preventing it from overheating in the summer. Soil balances temperature fluctuations and protects materials from the effects of negative factors, increasing their life. If you install such a roof, then you can get rid of external noise. Modern technologies allow you to equip such a system yourself, increasing the area of the site and successfully fitting this exterior element into any landscape.
Why choose a green roof
The green roof has many advantages over the traditional, it:
- durable
- delays rain runoff;
- possesses thermal insulation qualities;
- improves the environment.
The plant roof will last much longer than usual, as plants and soil protect the materials from weather conditions. If you properly care for such a system, then the life of the roof can exceed 20 years. If your house is built in a region whose climate is characterized by frequent and heavy rains, then a green roof can be an excellent solution, as it can cope with a lot of water.
By installing a lawn on the roof, you can get rid of excessive amounts of water. Vegetation will absorb approximately 27% of the rainfall. Thus, some owners of private homes avoid flooding.
The main layers of the roof
Before starting work on landscaping the roof, it is worth considering which siding is suitable for the green roof. Perhaps you should choose vinyl, the appearance of which can mimic natural wood. A green roof has many advantages, but for an inept user it can be a real problem. Therefore, before starting the arrangement of such a system, it is necessary to become familiar with the main layers. The uppermost one is ornamental plants, under which there will be a substrate, then comes the filtering and drainage layers, followed by a protective layer and waterproofing. The roof should also include traditional materials such as vapor barrier and base, these layers will be the lowest.
Features of arranging a green roof
If you will be implementing a green roof, then you should initially create a foundation, which consists of supporting structures. If we are talking about a flat roof, then concrete slabs will become the basis, while for a pitched roof, the main element will be a continuous crate. If the green roof is arranged on the old surface, for example, along the tiles, then it must be removed. Flat roofs should be given a slight slope, which should be directed towards the drain. The optimal slope parameter is considered to be a limit from 1.5 to 5 °. To create a slope, it is best to use a cement-sand mortar.
Waterproofing
A house with a green roof must have a waterproofing layer. This is due to the fact that the plants will be watered, while water can leak to materials that do not like moisture. To do this, you can use a plastic film or a polymer membrane. For this, liquid rubber is often used. Waterproofing is located on the roofing.
The facade of the house with a green roof should also correspond to the plan, which is why it is better to use natural materials for wall cladding of such a house. Creating a layer of waterproofing, you can use a coating of marine plywood. When using boards, gaps and crevices should be eliminated between them. To increase the effectiveness of waterproofing, it is best to lay the polymer membrane in two layers. The lower layer should be fixed mechanically, and the upper should be fused. The resulting seams are soldered together.
Warming
The green roof, the photo of which you can see in the article, must be insulated. The insulation layer is most often created from cork boards, polyurethane is also used successfully, which is applied in foamed form. You can use extruded polystyrene foam. Plates should be laid as tightly as possible to each other, if the top layer creates slight pressure, then special glue should be used. Some experts do not strengthen the slab to the base, since the pitched roof does not require additional thermal insulation, because this layer is already in the attic space between the rafters. But when green moss is used, then there is no question of warming at all, since this plant is used for thermal insulation of roofs of houses.
Creating a barrier to plants
A house under a green roof will look very beautiful, but it is required to observe the technology for carrying out work on its arrangement. It is important to have a root layer that prevents plants from growing deeper into the roof. The most common barrier is a polymer film or ordinary foil. An excellent solution would be a film with a metal coating, which is laid on a layer of waterproofing.
Drainage layer
Drainage material will retain a certain amount of fluid, which is necessary for normal plant life. And the water should move along the roof towards the drain. If your house has a flat roof, then you must create conditions that will exclude stagnation of water. For lower drainage, claydite should be laid, which has a medium or large fraction. Excellent results can be achieved using chopped pumice, polyamide, perlite coconut. Special artificial mats are also being implemented today, which have the appearance of nets and have great flexibility. If you do not have these materials, then you can use loose clay or gravel. In order to ensure an efficient flow of water, additionally perforated tubes can be installed.
Filtration layer
The green color of the roof can be created not only with the help of plants, but also with modern covering materials such as metal tiles. As practice shows, this option is less time-consuming, because after laying it is not necessary to take care of the roof. Among other things, the green roof has many layers, among which the filtration should be highlighted. It is necessary to retain unnecessary rainfall. An excellent filter is geotextiles, which have a high density. Using this canvas, mixing drainage with soil can be eliminated, which can happen over time. Geotextiles overlap.
Crate for landscaping a gently sloping roof
It is necessary to apply a geogrid, since with an impressive slope of the slopes, the soil can simply slide down. The geogrid has a small weight and has the appearance of plastic cells. In the presence of a green roof with a small slope, it will be enough to prepare wooden partitions that will serve as a lathing. Wooden slats should be laid in such a way as to create an interesting geometric ornament. Along the perimeter for fixing should be installed sides.
Fertile layer
If you decide to green the roof, then as a finishing material for the walls, you can use siding. There may not be a green roof on your house in this case, because such wall decoration can be used in tandem with ondulin. After laying all the layers, you need to create fertile soil, the thickness of which can be 10 cm. The soil must be stable and compacted, but the usual mixture for the garden is not suitable for this.
Conclusion
After laying the soil, you can do planting. It is important to take into account that conditions from above will be close to desert ones. If you want to give preference to trees, you should choose dwarf species that have a small root system.