Charlotte’s roofing company explains the pros of living roofs

Charlotte’s roofing company offers insight into living roofs
​Charlotte’s roofing company says homeowners can beat standard roofing materials and opt for aesthetic living vegetation. Asphalt shingles, clay tiles, metal roofs, and wood shakes are sought-after in the American roofing scene. Still, the living or green roof is taking the roofing industry by storm. So, what is it, and what are its pros?

What is a living roof?
It is a roof structure covered by a waterproofing membrane and fully or partially by living vegetation. It is characterized by growing mediums, such as bushes, flowers, or trees. It starts with a layer of water and rot-proof membrane like a heavy-duty pond liner stretched across the roof area. That is topped with layers for water and soil retention, consisting of pumice, mulch, peat, or clay. A root-growing substrate layer made up of a mix of organic and inorganic materials is incorporated. This may consist of peat moss, shale, perlite, and coconut husk. Lastly, the plants are added, focusing on drought-resistant plants to lower maintenance needs.

Types of green roofing
Based on the depth of the planting and the level of maintenance needed, there are three types of green roofs. These are namely: intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive roofs. Extensive roofs can handle 10 to 25 pounds of vegetation per square foot. On the other hand, intensive roofs can hold 80 to 150 pounds, with semi-intensive falling between the two ranges.

An intensive green roof is similar to a rooftop garden, requiring labor, feeding, and irrigation to maintain plants with roots that grow 7 to 24 inches deep into the soil. Water features such as small ponds may be included. In comparison, extensive roofs sustain themselves with 1.5 to 6 inches of soil and only need yearly weeding. The extensive roof is appropriate where the roof is not easily accessible.

Pros of a green roof
1. Biodiversity and environmental support
A green roof is undoubtedly more beautiful than a regular system. What’s more, it offers an additional functional living space and provides food and shelter for native birds, who are quickly losing their habitats to developing cities and communities.

2. Increased oxygen production
Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen. Unknown to many, plants on a single residential green roof churn out more oxygen than a regular family consumes in one year.

3. Reduced noise levels
The living roof consists of green materials and a soil mixture, which absorb and deflect most of the external noise.

4. Lowered cooling costs Any living roof is a super-insulator, fostering a cooler home during the hot months. A study even revealed that a green roof could reduce your HVAC demand by over fifty percent.

5. Decreased ‘urban heat island effect’
The heat island effect is the increase in temperature from replacing living vegetation with parking lots, homes, and shops. The increased temperature alters smog levels and raises energy demand for cooling. Living roof communities can significantly minimize the effect.

6. Lesser rainwater runoff
A living roof absorbs approximately 40 percent of rainwater and filters out pollutants to make runoff cleaner. It also minimizes and delays rainwater runoff, which sometimes helps the overworked sewers.

Work with Charlotte’s roofing company
​Whether you need a roof repair, a new roof, or professional roofing advice or tips, Charlotte’s roofing company can be of help. Steele Restoration is a fully licensed and insured Charlotte NC and Greenville SC-based general contractor and roofing company specializing in roofing, siding, and storm damage restoration for single-family homes, multi-family complexes, and commercial and industrial sites. We service Charlotte and surrounding areas, including Rock Hill, Lake Norman, Steele Creek, Matthews, Ballantyne, and Blakeney, along with Greenville and Spartanburg SC areas.

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