WHAT IS A GARDEN ROOF?

A Garden Roof, one type of Green Roof System, consists of plants, trees and/or vegetation that are installed on a commercial roof for a natural landscape. When properly installed and maintained, Garden Roofs have been proven to extend the life of a roofing system.

General Roofing can help you select the best Green Roofing System for your facility. We will discuss your objectives and review the critical factors that will impact the long-term performance of your Green Roof, such as roof size/ shape/slope, load-bearing capacity of the roof deck, building location, roof orientation and accessibility, roof drainage, climate/zone and rainfall patterns, type of plantings desired, and more. The result will be a beautiful Green Roof that will provide years of enjoyment with minimal, regular maintenance.



Three Types of Garden Roofs
There are three primary types of Green Roof Systems available. General Roofing skilled technicians can install, and maintain, the design that best meets the specifications of your facility:

In-situ Green Roof installations All components of the garden roof are assembled layer by layer, directly on top of the roofing system, for a natural look, and can be "intensive" or "extensive" as follows: Traditional roof gardens, which require a reasonable depth of soil to grow large plants or conventional lawns, are considered "intensive" because they are labor-intensive, requiring irrigation, feeding and other maintenance. "Extensive" green roofs, by contrast, are designed to be virtually self-sustaining and should require only a minimum of maintenance

Modular Green Roof Systems Consist of preplanted modular trays, or containers, that are positioned on top of the roof.

Pre-Cultivated Vegetation Blankets Rolled on top of the existing roofing system.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GARDEN ROOF?

General Roof is proud to install systems
from these leading manufacturers of Green Technology:


Carlisle SynTec
Firestone
GAF®
American Hydrotech®
Johns Manville
Sika Sarnafil®
Siplast®




Conserving energy

Mitigating urban heat-island effects

Controlling stormwater runoff,
erosion, and pollution

Improving water quality

Cooling and cleaning the air

More than doubling the
service life of the roof,
reducing both costs and landfill

Reducing sound reflection
and transmission

Creating a wildlife habitat

Improving the aesthetic environment


THE BENEFITS OF
A GARDEN ROOF

Extend Roof Service Life
Green Roofs can extend the life of roof membranes, beyond their normal life span or warranty term, by shielding them from UV
radiation, protecting them from severe temperature extremes (freeze/thaw cycles) and mechanical damage caused by wind-blown
debris. Longer roof service life equates to lower life cycle costing.

Reduce Storm Water Runoff
& Erosion
According to livingroofs.org, in the summer, Green Roofs can retain 70-80% of rainfall, and in winter, they can
retain between 25-40% of rainfall. Green Roofs reduce the impact of rainwater run off on the municipal storm water drainage
system, and the surrounding watershed, and also can reduce the potential of local flooding.



On hot summer days, the surface temperature of a vegetated rooftop can be cooler than the air temperature, whereas the surface of
a traditional rooftop can be up to 90°F (50°C) warmer.

Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effects
Green Roofs counter the urban heat island effect by cooling and cleaning the air adjacent to the roof through plant
evapotranspiration, shading and insulation.

Provide Natural Sound Barrier
Green Roofs reduce the transmission and reflection of sound by noise absorption.



Conserve Energy
Green Roofs can reduce a building’s heating and cooling demands. They absorb and hold energy from sunlight, and then slowly
release the stored energy as the ambient air temperature cools. Buildings remain cooler in the summer and warmer in winter due to
a reduction in thermal loading.

Create Urban Greenspace
Green Roofs have an aesthetic benefit in congested areas where roof gardens break up the landscape and provide a
pretty, green vista.

Improve Air Quality
Green Roofs purify the air by absorbing pollutants.

Enhance Building’s LEED Performance
A Green Roof will contribute to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) green building certification.