The Advantages of Vegetative Roofing

There are all kinds of green roofing options out there these days — from recycled products, to special coatings that bounce heat back, and much more. However, vegetative roofing continues to grow in popularity due to its versatility. Vegetative roofing refers to plant materials installed over the weatherproofing system. Those plants materials and soil offer many benefits!

Air Quality

Particularly in cities, the more vegetative materials the better to help filter our air pollution and reduce the urban heat island problem.

Water Control

Plantings and soil on the roof absorb a lot of rain and moisture, helping them to flourish and reduce the strain on storm drainage. In addition, plants naturally filter contaminants, helping to reduce the need for filtration.

Energy Savings

Plants and soil provide a strong buffer between the outside air and the inside space. The plants help maintain a much steadier temperature as they don’t allow extreme fluctuations to occur. By shedding heat in the summer and conserving heat in the winter, vegetative roofing can help reduce utility costs for the owner.

Beauty

History shows that deep in the human genetic genetic makeup is the need for green spaces. In fact, some health studies show that nature scene increase productivity and improve both mental and physical health. For a business and others nearby, a vegetive roof can even mean happier and more productive employees.

Food

In many urban areas, rooftops are being turned into garden space, growing fresh fruit and vegetable for city dwellers.

Habitat

Vegetative Roofing does offer natural habitat for all kinds of wild creatures and insects — something to think about before going au natural. Are you comfortable with the critters a living roof is likely to attract? On the plus side, thanks to vegetative roofs, rooftop gardens and other green spaces, some city residents are even setting up bee hives on rooftops to provide natural, local honey.

In short, vegetative roofing is completely practical, although it does take some landscaping work. Doesn’t that sound odd — landscaping a roof! However, landscaping can help remove unwanted weeds or plants and maintain the health of the roof cover. That being said, some people simply allow their roofing to go completely natural, although even then, large trees should be discouraged from taking root to protect the structure below.