Have you ever wondered why or how you would incorporate a green roof into your own home design? Well, I am here to walk you through how and why we did it with this homeowner.
Unfortunately, due to the “COVID delay times” we are living in right now this project isn’t completely finished except for the GREEN ROOF! This total tear-down / rebuild home is going to be amazing when it’s completed. We started working with these homeowners over a year ago, which was critical in germinating the trays of succulents for the green roof installation this summer.
This project was largely a TEAM effort with the builder and architect to insure all the weight specs (wet soil weighs A LOT), dimensions, waterproofing, and drainage were completed correctly and successfully.
A Finished Aerial Photo of Both Green Roof Terraces
Why Green Roofs?
- Beautiful: Esthetically pleasing on the eye
- Create a Habitat: Plants and soil help recreate a habitat for pollinators, butterflies, insects, and birds
- Promote Health and Well-Being: Improves focus, reduces eye strain, and relieves mental fatigue
- Reduce Stormwater Runoff: Creates cleaner water from entering local waterways and reduces pollution
- Conserve Energy: Acts as insulation and sound barrier
- Green Space Compliance: Qualifies for green space credits and reduces the hard surface calculations
Before Photo of the Two Terraces
Installing a Green Roof (Steps and Products Used)
- Choose the Plant Mixture Early On and Start Growing ASAP
- Installation of Drainage
- Multiple Layers of Waterproofing and Fabric Root Barrier
- Installation of Drip Irrigation
- Flats of Plants (Remove any Cardboard Separators) Ready for Install
Below is a short video of our crew installing the plant material into the green roof
Our client had been working with an out-of-state family member that is a landscape architect and who is extremely well versed in plant material and esthetics. He was able to guide them into choosing a sedum and prairie dropseed grass combo for their green roof top mixture. It’s so rich with texture and color. Here is a close up photo.
Sedum and Prairie Dropseed Grass Mixture that will Grow to About 6″ Tall
When it came time to source our plant material and products for installation we worked closely with Bachman’s Wholesale in Farmington, Minnesota. They have a great team of people that specialize in Green Roof products for installation.
Smaller Green Roof Terrace Over Entry Way
Green Roof Aerial Blending
Hopefully, we start to see more and more of these green roofs move into the residential neighborhoods. Any small efforts to reduce pollution and continue to protect our earth is awesome. We love a challenge and learning new methods of landscaping and this was the perfect place to start. As always, we are here to answer any questions! Feel free to send us an email or call anytime!
