Is your roof suitable for a living green roof?
It's surprising just how many roofs out there could be benefiting the Environment, supporting wildlife, helping to prevent flooding and contributing to the fight against global warming, but not every roof is suitable for green roofing.
- Loading Restrictions
- Location
- Drainage Control
- Detailing
- Maintenance
- Health and Safety
- Suitability Checklist
Loading Restrictions
A lightweight domestic green roof made using Enviromat sedum matting will weigh between 65Kg/m2 and 150Kg/m2 - be sure that your building is strong enough to cope with this!
Location
Sedum plants are adapted by nature to cope with exposed conditions so provided that the matting is well anchored, living on the roof is not a problem to them
Sedum plants need plenty of sunshine so avoid north-facing roofs and shading from trees and/or other buildings.
Drainage Control
Sedum plants are adapted to living in free-draining conditions, they will not survive if their roots are persistently wet.
Ensure that your roof is well-drained with no puddling after rain. check too that there are no gutters or drains discharging on to the roof and no water dripping down from adjoining roofs.
Detailing
Little things make a big difference to the success of your living roof… edgings, fixings, drains etc.
Maintenance
OK - so you probably won't ever need a mower up there but be sure that your roof is strong enough and safe to walk on and that you have easy access to all parts of it.
You will need to go up on to the roof at least once a year to carry out a simple, but important, maintenance regime.
Health and Safety
Health and Safety is a prime consideration. You will need to take proper precautions when:
- lifting heavy materials on to the roof
- working on the roof to install sedum mat and other components
- routine maintenance
Suitability Checklist
Is your roof suitable for an extensive green roof?
Our checklist will help you decide what, if any, alterations need to be made to your building before it can successfully support a living green roof made with Enviromat sedum matting.
| Is the roof destined for a commercial building or does it cover an area greater than 50 square metres? If Yes, then a DIY Enviromat roof is not appropriate. Contact us for help with your project. | Y / N |
| Is the roof strong enough to support the weight of an extensive green roof system? Between 65Kg/m2 and 150Kg/m2. If in doubt, consult an architect or a structural engineer. | Y / N |
| Is the roof located so that it will provide the right conditions for sedum plants to survive and thrive? Plenty of sunshine, no drains discharging directly onto the roof, avoiding close proximity to really tall trees. | Y / N |
| Is the roof well drained? No standing water after rain. | Y / N |
| Is the roof slope more than 1 degree but less than 25 degrees? A very steep slope creates extra challenges for irrigation and for anchorage | Y / N |
| If the roof slope is more than 10 degrees, do you have provision for irrigation? For a small area, it's enough to be able to water the plants with a hosepipe when necessary. | Y / N |
| Have you made provisions for safe working? - both for installing the green roof and for maintaining it. | Y / N |
| Are you willing and able to go on to the roof at least once a year to carry out maintenance? | Y / N |
| Can all parts of the roof be safely accessed for maintenance? | Y / N |