Green roofs are specially engineered rooftops designed to support the growth of vegetation while protecting the structural integrity of the roof. They can also be referred to as vegetated roofs, rooftop gardens or Eco-roofs.
A green roof acts like a lawn, meadow or garden by intercepting and absorbing a portion of the rain or snow that falls on it. The typical layers of a green roof (in order from the roof surface) include insulation layer, water-proofing membrane, root barrier, drainage layer, lightweight growing medium layer and the vegetation. Excess water that is not absorbed by the vegetation, growing medium is collected by the underlying drainage layer, directed to outlet structures and conveyed via the roof drainage system to another municipal storm sewer system.
A large portion of the water absorbed by green roofs is returned to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration by plants. Green roofs are typically designed to retain precipitation from small to medium-sized storm events. Overflow outlets are necessary to safely convey flows from major storm events.
Eileen Roofing expert technicians are qualified to install green roofing in Ontario commercial and industrial flat roofing systems.