You are thinking about the choice of material for the roof, but you really want something unusual ... Maybe a "green roof"? And members of the forum will tell you about all its secrets.
The choice of roofing material is a responsible decision, and there is no place for trifles. And if the roof is made of metal or your heart, as they say, does not lie, but your soul requires something unusual and extraordinary, you should pay attention to the so-called " "... And FORUMHOUSE users will help you to find out all its secrets.
"Green roof" is ...
The most widespread "green roof" was received in the Scandinavian countries, and its history goes back more than one century. What is a "green roof", and why, despite the fact that the most modern roofing materials are available to us, is it still in demand?
Forum user novel(nickname on the forum roofing systems )
Novel:
- In essence, a "green roof" is a set of measures and solutions that allow you to recreate a piece of nature or a decorative garden on the roof of your house.
Microwave:
- "Green Roof" is the roof of a building, on which a layer of fertile soil is placed, in which flowers, vegetables, grass, etc. are planted. The roof turns into a vegetable garden, a garden, a meadow area, a meadow for relaxation. It is pleasant to have a picnic on it, sunbathe, relax in the shade of the foliage of a tree, enjoy the smell of flowers, practically without leaving the workplace and without leaving the building.
And the idea of greening roofs is becoming more and more popular.
Green spaces reduce the flow of water from roofs during heavy rainfall. Water stays in the soil for several hours and does not pour out in a violent stream from the gutters: a layer of soil 5-10 cm thick absorbs 75% of rainfall. And the vegetation of "green roofs" purifies rainwater from harmful impurities contained in it.
Plowman:
- A turfed roof complements the protection of the house from precipitation, wind and cold. After all, the grass retains the snow cover, and the snow is a heat insulator. And the grass hibernates normally, like on a lawn. Only the lawn turns out to be heated by the heat and, in turn, your home.
An excursion into history
Before moving on to the technology of installing a "green roof", let's remember how such roofs were created in the days when modern building materials were not yet available.
Novel:
- "Green Roof" came to us from Scandinavia, where from the 18th century to the present day it serves local population as a roof covering. And earlier, when there was only stone and houses were built from logs, birch bark was used for waterproofing, because it does not rot or decompose. It was laid over the ceilings, then drainage was paved with stones of various fractions, then a layer of turf with grass was laid.
np28alex:
- For example, grass roofing has been used since ancient times in Norway. Such roofs with birch bark stood for 50 years or more without repair.
Norwegian houses have a roof slope of 22 or 27 degrees - these are "pile corners", gentle enough so that the earth no longer crumbles.
An article on how to build houses in Norway is available .
But it turns out that such roofs are not only used in Norway.
Karluk:
- In Central Asia, in kishlaks, on many roofs, grassy soil replaces the roof. It retains heat well in winter, and in summer it is cool in adobe or adobe houses under such a roof.
In addition, on the roof of the building, in addition to the standard lawn, you can arrange a garden of stones with a mini-fountain, a flower bed, a garden with bonsai and shrubs, or you can simply plant any plants.
"Green roof". Modern approach
"Green Roof" is not only an aesthetic design, but also a thermostat that prevents buildings from overheating in summer and works as a heater for the upper part of a building in winter. A waterproofing roof covering serves under a layer of soil several times longer than with an open type of roof.
Novel:
- Waterproofing under the "green roof" is carried out mainly by roofing waterproofing membranes. And before the system of professional drainage systems for the roof was developed, it was carried out with the help of free-flowing fillers, but the weight of the roof is at the same time per 1 sq. m was colossal.
Now the main weight of the roof is the soil layer, all other materials weigh less than a kilogram per square meter. The main advantages of a "green roof" include the following factors:
- "Green Roof" is an excellent thermostat, which means that we save on roof insulation.
- "Green Roof" is UV protection and extension of the waterproofing service life.
- Modern drainage systems under the ground accumulate water inside the green roof pie, which reduces the amount of watering for such a roof.
- Modern geomats will allow you to create any hills and slopes when designing landscape design, and the "green roof" area compensates for the area occupied by nature for building a house.
- The quality of the materials used in the construction of the "green roof" will allow it not to be repaired for about 50 years.
And the very process of installing such a roof can be divided into several important stages:
- The basis for the "green roof" is a monolithic floor with a sufficient margin of safety. It is laid on top of it - mineral wool slabs.
The foundation for the "green roof" must be strong enough, since the weight of such a roof starts from 250 kg per square meter. In addition, the moisture-saturated area of the roof becomes even heavier.
- The insulation is laid in two layers with an overlap, but given that the soil layer is also a heater, mineral wool slabs can be reduced in cross section. Alternatively, the bottom layer is 50 mm, the top layer is 40 mm.
Funny Child:
- In cold climates, it is necessary to take care not that there is as much insulation, for example, EPS (if it is an inverted roof), but that there is not too much of it. If you overdo it, the thin soil layer on the roof can be overcooled and the plants will freeze.
For the middle strip above the heated room, the optimal thickness of the EPS is 100 mm.
- Waterproofing is done with a PVC roofing membrane.
One of the important components of a "green roof" is a reinforced PVC roofing membrane. A roofing membrane is a waterproofing coating designed for waterproofing flat roofs. Compared with euroruberoid, it has b O the greatest resource of durability and reliability, and that is why it is recommended to use it in green roofing systems that are inaccessible for scheduled and ongoing roof repairs.
- The drainage and accumulation system reduces the number of irrigations in half.
The first drainages were bulk materials: gravel, expanded clay, separated by geotextiles as a filter, which, in turn, increased the thickness of the cake and increased the weight of the roof many times by 1 sq. M.
Novel:
- Not superfluous in the "green roof" will be materials such as geomats to strengthen the slopes, and geogrids, which are used for filling soil and creating slopes, hills and other landscape design quirks.
You can find out how to make a drainage system on a site .
Next, plants are planted on the finished roof. Earth layer thickness should be at least 100 mm, but in general itis determined by the capacity of the supporting structures of the building and the characteristics of the plant root system.
Novel:
- For roof gardening, there are a large number of ground covers - the so-called carpet plants. These are sedums of various colors and sizes. Unlike a standard lawn, they are virtually maintenance free.
You can also create a simplified "pie" of the roof.
- 1 layer - euroruberoid.
- 2nd layer - geotextile waterproofing.
- 3rd layer - coarse sand.
And then light and nutritious soil is laid.
But at the same time, you should take into account the following points:
1. The slope of the roof slope for moisture drainage should be 20-28 degrees, then there is no need to lay drainage. If the soil layer is about 20 cm, then the load on the roof will be about 7-15 kg per square meter. Along the edge, you will have to fix the side that holds the ground.
2. Plants are chosen the most unpretentious and winter-hardy. They will not require additional watering and no maintenance at all. It will be possible not to fix the roof for 2-3 seasons.
Rooftop plants such as dandelion, cuff, knotweed, plantain, wormwood are remarkable in their natural simplicity. They correspond to the natural style and are most suitable for our climatic conditions.
Also, for completeness, the experience of building such a roof according to the recipe of our northern neighbors is interesting.
np28alex:
- In Norway, they take the same land that was taken out during the foundation work. They do not sow anything, and what is around grows on the roof. And in order to get a stable turf, you need a layer of earth of at least 10 cm.
But even centuries-old experience should not be blindly copied, because it is necessary to take into account the specifics of our climatic conditions.
Funny Child:
- In Norway, the climate is warm, humid and foggy, due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream, and with ours, Moscow, it has very little in common. And the classic Norwegian roof consists of several layers of birch bark, collected in a certain period (immediately after the end of sap flow) and only from high-quality trees no more than 40 years old. And this is not counting the many tons of soil that need to be thrown up.
You can often hear the opinion that "green roofing", like, is a very expensive solution and it has a lot of limitations.
Aleksej2000:
- At one time I considered a "green roof" as an option for a future home. And so I read a lot about her. But in the end he refused because of, as it seems to me, many restrictions. For example:
- The large weight of the roof leads to an increase in the cost of the rafter system.
- The slope of the roof cannot be made steep, and because of this, it is impossible to use the attic.
This means that you will have to increase either the area or the height of the house.
- The roof requires annual maintenance.
Novel:
- Regarding the weight of the roof: at this stage, the main weight is a minimum 100 mm layer of moist earth and plants, the weight of waterproofing and drainage with a filter is 0.5 kg per square meter. That is, the entire structure before backfilling weighs half a kilogram, and bulk heavy drainages are no longer used for landscaping the roof.
The roof slope can be absolutely any, you can even green a vertical surface. To obtain a pitched roof, we use the same technology, only we add a special geomat and an anti-erosion mat.
Novel:
- Maintenance of such a roof is rather a hobby or pleasure. By the way, due to the presence of a drainage collection drainage, it is possible to water the "green roof" three times less often than an ordinary flower bed, and in order not to take care of the plants, you can plant such groundcover as the so-called mats, they, like moss, do not require care, what if put drip irrigation, then this is generally beauty.
How to independently plant grass on the roof, users will tell our forum. All information about the "green roof" can be obtained. This video will show you how to choose modern roofing materials. And this video clearly tells about the so-called "Hedge".
Have you noticed that our private buildings, apart from architectural monotony, are also the same in color, something in between a delicate "peach" and an unripe "olive"? However, this is neither good nor bad, as they say, the taste and color of the markers are different. It's another matter whether the chosen color scheme of the walls, basement and roof suits the house. Let's consider in more detail the relevance of different groups of colors for a private house.
Resistance to fading
The choice of the color palette for the decoration of the facade gives the appearance of the building an aesthetic value and a certain semantic significance. Color is able to enlarge and reduce an object, bring it closer and away, make it soaring upward or down-to-earth, bring together disparate parts or completely destroy integrity.
Photo: www.usualhouse.com 
Photo: www.remontbp.com
The richer and brighter the color, the faster it will fade. Black, for example, has the highest burnout rate. Burn-in will be less noticeable on light and pastel colors. But pure white, in spite of all the elegance that it gives to the facade, turns yellow quickly in the sun. A practical option is gray, it will not turn yellow, the dust settling on the gray paint is invisible, the shade of gray will change over time, but insignificantly.
Visual effects and shape
Light colors make the building visually large in size. Therefore, the main color of classical architecture is white. Cream and light beige shades can look faded on their own, so it is better to add darker accents to them in the exterior decoration.
Photo: kvartirakrasivo.com.ua Those who have been to the Scandinavian countries could not fail to note how great the saturated bright - red, yellow, orange - facades of their houses look great. On closer inspection, you can also see that the buildings themselves have simple architectural forms, without any small details.
Photo: happymodern.ru For houses with complex architectural volumes, many different details, it is better to use more calm light colors. You need to use a rich color palette with caution - cheap facade paint quickly fades out and after a couple of years a bright red house can turn a faded pink.
It is noticed that on a light background the colors darken, on a dark background they brighten. The lighter the tone, the more voluminous the object looks, the darker - the smaller. Warm colors - protruding, bring the object closer, cold - receding, move away. The most prominent color is open red, the most receding color is open blue. Blue under artificial light may change to green. The more the colors differ from each other in basic characteristics, the more difficult it is to harmonize them.
Photo: Archidom.ru Combinations
Not all color combinations look harmonious. For example, it's hard to imagine a house with orange walls and a green roof. Today there are many techniques that describe the rules for color matching. One of them, according to the method of the psychologist Luscher from Sweden, will allow you to choose the most successful color combinations. The following table is based on his recommendations.
2 - colors do not match, 3 - poor match, 4 - average match, 5 - good match Designers and architects often use the Johannes Itten color wheel when developing the exterior of a house.
Itten's circle is based on three colors: blue, red and yellow. The six remaining colors are formed by mixing the first and second order colors: red-violet, red-orange, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-orange, yellow-green.
Itten's circle 
Photo: www.houzz.ru It is natural for a person to use natural colors for his home: brown, beige, green, yellow, light blue. As a rule, they go well with each other. For example, a house with a "sand" facade, with dark wooden (or painted brown) windows and doors looks presentable and cozy. Natural color combinations convey subtle nuanced color relationships. Brightness in paints creates contrast - the kinship of colors. They are also called complementary ("complementary"). The love of complimentary flowers is strong in South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.).
When choosing a general coloristic solution, it is important not to miss the opportunity to diversify the facade using architectural details: columns, arches, decorated trims for windows and doors, floral and geometric ornaments, and so on. And the color will organize and order all this. Photo: www.houzz.ru 
Photo: dekorin.me Complementary (complementary) colors are located in Itten's circle opposite each other and make a contrast. The most famous complimentary pairs are: yellow - purple; Red Green; blue - orange. These color variations can be complicated: blue-green - red-orange; yellow-orange - blue-violet. Such combinations are characterized by maximum brightness.
Photo: kett-battler.bloger.by For example, in a pair of blue - orange, blue enhances and emphasizes orange, and orange brings out the fullness and saturation of blue. When working with more complex and approximate colors (natural), it is much easier to achieve harmony. Bright open contrasting colors are more difficult to combine, but such a color combination looks extremely effective. True, for the European perception, the contrast may be too bright and incomprehensible.
Photo: fasadoma.ru White is considered universal and is in harmony with absolutely all colors. Gray is an excellent background for bright elements of the building - spotlights, windows, doors, gutters. Both the white and gray colors of the façade go well with the red roof.
Photo: novate.ru 
Photo: MyHome.ru A pure red color for the facade is rarely used. Most often, you can see the brick shade thanks to the use of clinker tiles in the cladding.
Photo: www.houzz.ru Blue facades look very interesting when combined with shades of gray, beige and white. Like the cherry on the cake - a gray roof.
Photo: happymodern.ru 
Photo: thearchitect.pro The choice of the bold - black, "rusty", purple or dark blue facades. However, architecture should also correspond to such colors - high-tech styles, cubism.
Classics of the genre
Photo: remonti-balashiha.ru Dark top, light bottom. The most common combination. With this option, the walls in light colors contrast in tone with the roof. The house will look even more attractive if it also has other contrasting details, such as windows or a basement.
Photo: www.vseodetyah.com Tone on tone. When both the roof and the façade practically form one whole, the house looks monolithic and harmonious. Many will say that this is boring.
Photo: houses.saracentre.ru Light top, dark bottom. In this case, the walls dominate and attract attention. The roof seems to dissolve. In this scheme, it is important that the roof is color-matched with gutters, windows and doors.
Material compatibility
The harmonious look of the house also lies in the combination of wall and roof materials. For example, natural roofing materials - shingles, reeds, natural tiles - are ideal for a log house. Terracotta shades will also be appropriate - there are models that successfully imitate shingles. Compromise options - modular and composite metal tiles, seam roofing. But the combination of budget metal tiles and wooden walls cause a toothache in aesthetes.
inDomishke.ru Roofs made of natural tiles are best combined with brickwork: dark brown, gray, green or burgundy. Metal tiles, bituminous and copper roofs will look quite harmoniously. If the walls are finished with dark clinker, then a light gray seam roof will look good.
Plaster facades will be matched with a roof made of any material, harmoniously combined in color and style.
Before taking up a paint brush, you should use at least special programs that allow you to “try on” different colors of the roof and walls on a house template.
How to grow a roof garden, how much will it cost, and when is it best not to? There is less and less space for gardens and squares in the metropolis. But oases appear on the roofs of buildings, and there are already such examples in Moscow. For example, a green roof adorns an ordinary Moscow office building located on Sheremetyevskaya Street. The authors and creators of the so far unusual solution for Muscovites are landscape architects from the Ilya Mochalov & Partners company. They own an office in the building where the roof garden appeared, so they tried, one might say, for themselves. “We moved to this building in 2006,” recalls Ilya Mochalov. - Two years were mastered, one year I designed and coordinated the project with the Department of Natural Resources. Initially, the roof looked ... like any roof: littered, littered with the remains of construction that have not been removed. We, in general, were incredibly lucky, because initially it was not supposed that the roof would be exploited, let alone green. Nevertheless, having worked closely with the structure of this building, we realized that we could additionally place about 150 kg of additional weight on it. And we were able to place in different parts of the roof from 8 to 12 cm of such a "pie" (the basis for the future garden), including soil, substrate, waterproofing and so on. We have planted the roof with plants that require almost no maintenance. A natural plant community, a herb, was created that is able to support itself without outside help. We hope, at least, that it will continue to be so. As the architect says, the green roof has survived all the cataclysms of the Moscow climate. Winter 2009, when there were terrible cold weather without snow. Summer 2010, when the heat seemed to have destroyed the plants. But they survived, in the end everything returned to normal, the balance was restored. Today green roofs are considered one of the most promising and developing areas of landscape architecture. Thus, cities are trying to compensate for the “outgoing nature”, because there is less space for trees, lawns and flower beds in megacities every year. Ilya Mochalov gives the following figures: the total area of the Central Administrative District is approximately 6.6 thousand hectares, of which 1.5 thousand hectares is the area of the soles of capital objects, that is, in fact, the projection of roofs. If at least 5% of the roofs of the Central Administrative District are made green, then a colossal figure of 75 hectares will turn out. This is such a reserve territory that can potentially turn green. This is especially true for areas where there is an acute shortage of green areas.
The total area of the CAD is approximately 6.6 thousand hectares, of which 1.5 thousand hectares is the area of the soles of capital objects, that is, in fact, the projection of roofs. If at least 5% of the roofs of the Central Administrative District are made green, then a colossal figure of 75 hectares will turn out. This is such a reserve territory that can potentially turn green. This is especially true for areas where there is an acute shortage of green areas.
The total area of the CAD is approximately 6.6 thousand hectares, of which 1.5 thousand hectares is the area of the soles of capital objects, that is, in fact, the projection of roofs. If at least 5% of the roofs of the Central Administrative District are made green, then a colossal figure of 75 hectares will turn out. This is such a reserve territory that can potentially turn green. This is especially true for areas where there is an acute shortage of green areas. But in Moscow, the widespread greening of roofs is still something from the realm of fantasy. True, there is progress, so far they are in the preparation of relevant laws and documents. In March of this year, the Ministry of Construction issued methodological recommendations, in which the area of green roofs is recommended to be included in the indicator of areas of the balance of green spaces in all Russian cities within the framework of the Comfortable Urban Environment project. One more document is being prepared - “Green standards for landscaped exploited roofs of buildings and structures. Technical and environmental requirements ”, it is expected to be released in June next year. Nowadays, green roofs are rare in Moscow; these are single projects. According to Ilya Mochalov, green roofs have been successfully incorporated into projects: the Italian Quarter residential complex, the WUNDERPARK family center on Novorizhskoe highway. A landmark project was also planned - green roofs for the stylobate part of the shops on New Arbat. The Department of Nature Management of the city of Moscow approached the landscape architects with such a proposal. But later the buildings were sold to the investor, and this project did not take place. In the segment of individual country houses, there are also excellent examples of green roofs. “We took part in the project of the architect Mikhail Labazov,” says Ilya Mochalov. - Five hectares of forest area, on which an unusual-shaped house with a roof garden has grown. We managed to do local clearing, planted shrubs and even small trees of birch, mountain ash, pine. It directly reflects the principle of unity with nature, the interpenetration of a garden into a house, a house into a garden. Needless to say, this roof garden requires both top dressing and all kinds of care. A watering system is installed on the roof. The project is still relevant and has entered all the world's reference books of architecture. Photo: private villa with a green roof.
Green roofs mean improving the microclimate, reducing dust, colossal absorption of noise, the possibility of using recycled materials and creating a sustainable biological community for plant and animal life.
Green roofs mean improving the microclimate, reducing dust, colossal absorption of noise, the possibility of using recycled materials and creating a sustainable biological community for plant and animal life. Installation of a green roof is now expensive, about 9 thousand rubles per 1 sq. m. But even though the idea of arranging the roof looks attractive and uncomplicated, the architects do not advise to do gardening on their own. A green roof is the most complex engineering structure. Looks simple, but in fact, for it to work long-term and safely, a lot of things must be considered. - Here, you see, here we have settled an elm, which with age can become a huge heavy tree, if there is no professional root protection, - Ilya shows. - Over time, the roots may sprout, the roof will leak. That is, anti-root coverage is the first measure. Others are related to fire safety. All materials used on the roof must have a certain fire resistance class. And so on, there are many nuances. In general, amateur performances are very, very strongly discouraged here. Photo: green roof of an office building on Sheremetyevskaya Street in Moscow.
The inhabitants of the asphalt-glass jungle every year more and more need the opportunity to get a breath of fresh air. But, unfortunately, finding the source of this air is also becoming more difficult: there is simply not enough space for gardens and parks. And the lack of free space is doing its job. Landscape designers found a way out of the situation and suggested.
Thanks to modern technology, green roofs are widespread and original. Let's see what it is and what it can be.
What are green roofs
"Green roofs" is a literal translation of the English term "green roofs". It means partial or complete filling of the roof with live plants... It can be either tubs or planted in the ground. Today, such landscaping is more common in megacities: on the roofs of shopping centers, office buildings, residential high-rises. Not so long ago they began to plant greenery on roofs and households.
Interesting: Green buses travel the streets of New York, Madrid, Barcelona, Girona. With rooftop gardens, you guessed it. Mark Granen, who developed this idea, set a goal not only to give the bus an interesting look that will be remembered by tourists, but also to expand the city's green space.
Types of green roofs
There are several ways to green roofs. In this regard, the following types of their design with the help of plants are distinguished:Roof gardens
These are the roofs of buildings, on which, in addition, real mini-gardens with, and recreation areas. They, in turn, are of two types:1. Extensive
The simplest arrangement. Extensive gardens involve the planting of unpretentious plants - as a rule,.
At the same time, the thickness of the soil is small - a maximum of 15 cm. Additional strengthening of the roof is not necessary, because the weight of the soil does not exceed 20 kg per square meter.
You can choose plants for extensive roof gardening using our market. and compare products from different online stores.
Thyme Parple RUB 25
Russian vegetable garden
Thyme Purple Carpet
13 rbl
Russian vegetable garden
Thyme Sommertime
23 rbl
Russian vegetable garden
Herbal Clove Samos
15 rbl
Russian vegetable garden
Another option for extensive landscaping is rooftop plants in. It is suitable for country houses, outbuildings, but only for flat roofs and only for the spring-summer season... In winter, the containers will have to be removed. In general, a full-fledged garden, even if placed in perfect order, cannot be called.
2. Intensive
But this is already a real garden. In it you can equip paths, mini-waterfalls, small. You can also plant whatever you like, from flowers to trees. 
This type of garden is most often created on the roofs of high-rise buildings, hotels, shopping centers and other large-scale objects. This fact is easily explained by the fact that the roof of a country house simply cannot withstand such a heavy load from the soil with a layer of up to 200 cm and additional buildings.
Flat landscaping
As you might guess, in this case we are talking about flat roofs... They can be limited to one only landscaping, or you can break any of the gardens, taking into account the strength of the roof.Pitched landscaping
The basis for this type of landscaping is pitched roof... Here the flight of imagination is limited to an extensive lawn or garden.Benefits of green roofs
- Improving the ecology the building itself and the area around it: green spaces purify the air, trapping about 20% of harmful impurities.
- Level up... Especially relevant for buildings located near highways, airports and other sources of noise.
- Level up: a green roof regulates well the processes of heat exchange between the building and the environment. In winter, the heat is retained, and in summer the house is pleasantly cool.
- Additional place to rest and additional area for the implementation of horticultural.
- Extending the service life of the roof... Plants and soil to a certain extent protect the roof from the effects of negative factors: moisture, snow, sunlight, etc.
- Protection from snow blockages and flooding. In this case, the plants take the blow and partially retain the snow piles and rainwater.
- Aesthetic component... Landscaping is an original, always memorable roof design.
Disadvantages of green roofs
- Significant spending... You will have to pay for the strengthening of the roof and its covering. You will also have to spend money on an automatic irrigation system, since it is not very convenient to water the roof manually.
- The need to adhere to safety rules.
- Careful selection of plants and caring for them. Not every plant is capable of growing in such conditions and pleasing with its appearance.
- Green roofs do not fit every design of the site.
One of the oldest types of roofs is green. Previously, buildings were covered with a flooring of hewn half-timbers or poles, birch bark was located on top in several layers, and sod was laid on it. In order to prevent it from sliding down, a log or board was installed along the slope. Sod with moss or grass was laid out on top.
Today it is gaining popularity again. It has an attractive appearance and retains heat inside the building, preventing it from overheating in the summer. The soil balances temperature fluctuations and protects materials from negative factors, increasing their service 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 element of the exterior into any landscape.
Why choose a green roof
The green roof has many advantages over the traditional one, it is:
- durable;
- delays rainwater;
- has the qualities of thermal insulation;
- improves the ecological situation.
A vegetable roof will last much longer than a conventional roof as the plants and soil protect the materials from the weather. If you take proper care of such a system, then the life of the roof can exceed 20 years. If your home is built in an area with frequent and heavy rainfall, then a green roof can be an excellent solution as it can handle a lot of water.
By setting up a roof lawn, you can get rid of excess water. Vegetation will absorb approximately 27% of rainfall. In this way, some owners of private houses avoid flooding.
Basic roof layers
Before starting work on the greening of the roof, you should think about which siding is suitable for a green roof. It may be worth choosing vinyl, the appearance of which can imitate natural wood. Green roofing has many advantages, but it can be a real problem for the inept user. Therefore, before starting the arrangement of such a system, it is necessary to familiarize yourself closely with the main layers. The topmost one is ornamental plants, under which there will be a substrate, then there is a filtering and drainage layer, followed by a protective layer and waterproofing. The roof should also contain traditional materials such as vapor barrier and base, these layers will be the lowest.
Features of arranging a green roof
If you are going to implement a green roof, then initially you should create a base, which consists of supporting structures. If we are talking about the base will be concrete slabs, while for the main element will be a solid crate. If the arrangement of the green roof is carried out on an old covering, for example, on shingles, 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 of 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, and water can seep into materials that do not like moisture. For this, you can use a plastic wrap or a polymer membrane. For this, liquid rubber is often used. The waterproofing is located on the roof covering.
The facade of a house with a green roof must also correspond to the concept, which is why it is better to use natural materials for cladding the walls of such a house. To create a waterproofing layer, you can use a marine plywood covering. 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 mechanically fixed, and the upper one should be welded. The resulting seams are soldered together.
Warming
The green roof, the photo of which you can see in the article, must be thermally insulated. The insulation layer is most often created from cork boards; polyurethane, which is applied in a foamed form, is also successfully used. You can also use extruded polystyrene foam. The boards should be laid as tightly as possible to each other, if the top layer creates little pressure, then special glue should be used. Some experts do not reinforce the slabs to the base, since they do not require additional thermal insulation, because this layer is already present 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.
Create a barrier to plants
A house under a green roof will look very beautiful, but it is required to observe the technology of carrying out work on its arrangement. It is important to have a root protective layer, which will exclude the germination of plants deep 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
The drainage material will retain a certain amount of liquid, which is necessary for the normal life of plants. 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 stagnant water. For the bottom drainage, expanded clay should be laid, which has a medium or large fraction. Excellent results can be achieved with the use of chipped pumice, polyamide, perlite coconut. Special artificial mats, which have the form of nets and have great flexibility, are also being realized today. If you do not have these materials, then you can use loosened clay or gravel. In order to ensure an efficient drainage of water, additional perforated pipes 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 like metal tiles. As practice shows, this option is less laborious, because after installation, the roof does not have to be looked after. Among other things, a green roof has many layers, among which filtration should be distinguished. It is necessary to trap unnecessary precipitation. An excellent filter is considered to be geotextile, which has a high density. With this blade, it is possible to avoid mixing of the drainage with the soil, which can happen over time. The geotextile is overlapped.
Lathing when landscaping a sloping roof
It is necessary to use a geogrid, since with an impressive slope of the slopes, the soil can simply slide down. The geogrid is lightweight and looks like plastic cells. In the presence of a green roof with a small slope, it will be enough to prepare wooden partitions, which will act as lathing. must be laid in such a way as to create an interesting geometric pattern. Along the perimeter for fixation, the sides should be installed.
Fertile layer
If you decide to green your roof, then siding can be used as a finishing material for the walls. In this case, there may not be a green roof on your house, because a similar wall decoration can be used in tandem with ondulin. After laying all the layers, you need to start creating 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 start planting plants. It is important to take into account that the conditions from above will be close to desert conditions. If you want to give preference to trees, then you should choose dwarf species that have a small root system.