10 Essential Green Roofing Materials
There are certain green roofing materials that tend to be necessary to successfully build your garden in the sky. Green roofing is an aesthetic way to literally go green at your household. Green roofs started becoming popular overseas and gradually made their way to the United States. The whole project can be generally inexpensive if you construct it yourself. These are the essential green roofing materials you will need.
1. Rot Resistant Wood
The first green roofing material you need to have is rot resistant wood. It is necessary in building a containment barrier for your green roof. You will cut slots in the containment barrier to create a drainage system.
2. Screen
The screen is going to go over the slots to prevent the soil from slipping out of the containment barrier.
3. Pond Cover
This is the base of your roof. You can use the pond cover or a heavy tarp of some kind to give it a waterproof layer.
4. Waterproof Sealant
This can further waterproof the tarp or pond cover and guarantee that it stays in place. It is very important to waterproof your green roof well because you do not want the moisture to get to the roof of your house. You want to make sure that you will not have any leaks.
5. Carpet
The carpet will serve as the protector of the tarp. You will need to have many layers for a successful green roof project. The more layers there are the better protected your roof is from moisture.
6. Gravel
Gravel will act as a natural draining system. Just a thin layer of gravel on top of the carpet will do the job. The gravel soaks up some water and pushes the rest on.
7. Pebbles
Pebbles are added on top of the gravel. Include a lot of them around the edges of your green roof materials. This will stop debris from running into your gutters and discourage the vegetation from spreading. It will not look very appealing if your green roof starts to travel down the side of your house.
8. Landscape Fabric
This next layer is going to act as a filter and hold the soil in place. You do not want it to be able to move and erode away. The landscape fabric is perfect for preventing washout.
9. Soil
You cannot have a green roof without this green roofing material. You can use different types of soil depending on what kind of foliage you use. Do some research and see what will work better in the climate where you live.
10. Plants
Green roof construction allows you to be creative with your plant choices. You may choose a type of flower, or you may just want greenery on your roof. Some roofs are strictly grass and are easy for the owner to maintain. Some people actually put very large trees on their roofs. You can make it your own. It all depends on your vision of the green roof. As long as you have the right green roofing materials, you're all set!
