Steps To Transform Your Roof Into A Green Roof
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Roof garden not only increases the beauty of the house but also provides a green and healthy surrounding environment to the home. Before converting your roof into a garden, there are certain aspects that need to be kept in mind. A garden roof without planning could hurt the structural integrity of the roof.
Start off by checking if your roof structure is strong enough to carry the extra load of the garden. Also, calculate the slant if you have an inclined roof. Both these steps would help you to determine the compatibility of your roof with a garden. Also, if you live in cold areas then consider the weight of snow in winters as well.
Now, put a protective membrane on the roof to protect it from any kind of leaks. This water-proofing can be done with the help of a thick membrane of thermoplastic sheet or rubberized asphalt. Now, wet the roof and check for any leaks.
Inclined roofs can be divided into squares or rectangles to plant in the vegetation. Now, make a drainage layer so that the extra water can drain out through this drainage system. This drainage layer should let the extra water drain down. However, it should be hideous enough to keep the growing medium and soil. Drainage layer can be built with the help of granular materials such as tiny gravels, crushed charcoal or filter fabric. This importance of drainage layer can be understood with the fact that it drains all the extra amount of water which in turn can damage the roof.
Do not use local soil as a growing medium as it contains weeds and pathogens. Opt for inorganic components such as sand or crushed clay with soil and humus. The layer of growing medium should be approximately 8 inches thick.
Drip irrigation holds significance because it transports water to the areas where it is needed (roots of plants). Also, it is more convenient and easier in comparison to the handling of a hose.
Use drip irrigation instead of installing a hose on the roof. Drip irrigation irrigates the most important areas of the roof garden (roots).
Always choose the plants that can survive the local conditions.
Scott Rodgers is a fine expert who has been authoring on roofing contents for a long time now. His unique guidance has given motivation to a host of workers, ranging from Yakima Roofers (Need one? click here!) to Washington Navy Yard Roofers (Need one? click here!).
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