The concept of "living roof" appeared relatively recently, in Paris at the end of the XIX century. People really liked planting the vegetation and they often began to mount such a miracle in their homes. Designers use a special term to describe this solution - the green roof. It is becoming increasingly popular both in Europe and in our country.
Benefits
In addition to the fact that this element is an incredibly fashionable solution, there are a number of factors due to which it is worth equipping such a garden on your roof.
- Saving space is an ideal option for those who do not have a land allotment. If the roof is well fixed, then you can move around and rest on the lawn.
- Ecology - all materials used for roof installation emit harmful substances, but if they are covered with a lawn on the roof, this trouble will be neutralized.
- Liquid absorption - all moisture entering the roof is absorbed by the soil and plants, so you don’t have to worry that it will leak.
- Durability - thanks to the placement of the garden, it is possible to significantly extend the life of the roof, as it will be reliably protected from atmospheric precipitation and ultraviolet radiation.
- Additional heat and sound insulation.
Types of gardens
Roof landscaping can be divided into two main types.
Extensive - such landscaping involves the use of light soil, the thickness of which varies from 5 to 15 cm. This is the easiest way to protect the roof from the influence of external factors and to create an autonomous ecosystem. For this, extremely unpretentious plants are used that do not require regular watering and careful maintenance. Extensive gardening is the creation of a continuous lawn on the roof of evergreens. This option does not imply the presence of a recreation area. Often, a similar system is used for roofing garages, gazebos, private houses and farm buildings.
Intense e - in this case, a real garden with picnic areas, walkways, gazebos and even ponds will appear on the roof. Of course, planting shrubs and trees requires a reliable foundation that can withstand a layer of soil of 1.5 meters. Most often, intensive landscaping is used for high-rise elite houses, shopping centers, hotels and large enough facilities.
According to the type of roof on which the lawn or garden will be located, landscaping is divided into two types:
- pitched - in this case only extensive planting is allowed;
- flat - on such surfaces both extensive and intensive decorative lawns are used.
It all depends on the financial capabilities and strength of the foundation.
Safety requirements
It was said that extensive landscaping is used for pitched and flat roofs, but it should be noted that their slope should not exceed 30 degrees. If this is not done, then the lawn on the roof just collapses down.
A flat roof must withstand a solid load, because a square meter of soil only 5 cm deep weighs up to 100 kg, and the earth is just one of the layers of the future garden. Special light substrates are used to facilitate this, but it is recommended that you consult a specialist before installing them.
And also it is necessary to take into account that in the winter period more rainfall will be added to the main weight, all this can increase the roof load up to 400 kg per m 2 .
To reduce pressure, landscape experts advise planting large trees and shrubs on supporting structures.
Another important point is the protection from the wind. To do this, it is recommended to strengthen the vertical structures and make reliable parapets, as well as provide a convenient entrance to the lawn from the top floor.
Training
Initially, it is necessary to seal the entire roof so that it can withstand a considerable load. Then the surface is treated with different compositions according to the type of water repellents and primers. To protect against high humidity and the action of the soil, a root-protective film is laid, in addition, it becomes an active protection against the sliding of the soil down.
When choosing soil, it is necessary to give preference to a homogeneous substrate in which the plant will sprout more actively. It is also necessary to use a geo-band that will separate land and drainage.
Styling features
Since the roof lawn is a new technology, it can be easily stated that only reliable and durable materials are used for it, and the installation process is quite simple.
- The most important thing for this beauty is the presence of a solid base in the form of a crate or cement floor.
- Then there is the opportunity to proceed to the main layers. It is required to put a protective waterproofing. For this, a plastic film or liquid rubber is used, which is fixed with screws.
- Then you need to lay the insulating layer, which is composed of cork boards. A special glue is used for their installation, and they are placed tightly to each other.
- Next mounted protection against root formation. In specialized stores you can already find waterproofing materials with protection against the roots.
- To retain water that will feed the plants, a drainage layer is required. For this, expanded clay is used.
- As a soil fixation, a crate is selected that perfectly restrains the entire earth.
- At the time of soil selection, it is necessary to closely examine all the plants that have a desire to grow on the roof. A simple lawn requires a small layer of 10 cm. It must be remembered that the soil must be porous and light.
Flor Depot System
Today, this technology has become very popular. It was developed by the German company Bau-trade. This system allows you to create a lawn on the roof, the degree of which reaches 45-50. For installation you need only three layers. To begin with, waterproofing is completed, on which root protection is covered, and after that a special vegetable mat is laid, the basis of which is foam. Such material perfectly replaces drainage and natural soil. It contains various nutrients and clay materials, which are specially selected for the climatic conditions of Russia and the CIS countries. Next, a small layer of substrate is applied to this mat and landscaping is carried out.
Lawn cost
Very often a roll lawn is used to simplify landscaping. Its cost, depending on the type of grass per square meter, starts at 80 rubles. The average price of a quality lawn is 150 rubles per 1 m 2 . If you choose to buy seeds, then their price is minimal and reaches about 200 rubles per pack.
Grass planting before winter
In order for the vegetation to strengthen well and mature well in the early spring, this method of planting must be used. The best time for sowing is considered to be early autumn, during this period it is still not cold and not too hot. And also it should be noted that just at that time a sufficient amount of precipitation falls, all this will greatly affect the growth of grass.
If all the processes are carried out later, then the lawn on the roof may not be strong enough and as a result cannot survive the wintering.
One of the main advantages of this planting is the minimum number of weeds that so often impede the development of shoots and root system. First you need to prepare the soil and level it. A week before planting, you will need to apply fertilizer, which will make the soil more favorable for sowing. Planting is best done on a calm day so that the seeds do not fly apart and the lawn on the roof of the house is more uniform.
Roof care
It is necessary to monitor the roof in the same way as for a regular lawn, provided that it is the grass that grows there. This means that in dry weather the lawn needs to be watered and also mowed once every two weeks with a trimmer. The device is recommended to choose a portable and lightweight that will not damage the roof of an elite house. The best option would be a battery powered electric braid. Popular brands for the production of such devices are Worx, Bosch, Gardena and Flymo. It should be noted that on a flat roof it is quite simple to take care of the vegetation, but on a pitched roof for this purpose it is recommended to hire specialists.