How to Get a Green Roof for Dirt Cheap
By Eliza Barclay
May 19, 2009
http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/garden/budget-green-roofs?source=email_gg_20090520&email=gg
Green roofs are an environmental and economical win-win: These aboveground gardens absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, combat the urban heat island effect by deflecting the sun's rays, divert harmful storm-water runoff, and can help lower a building’s heating and cooling costs.
Living roofs are gaining serious traction in big cities like Chicago, where city hall wears a green roof. But homeowners and building managers anywhere can also join the green-roof revolution—without forking over too much dough.
First, you'll likely need to hire a landscape contractor for the project—nearly all green roof experts discourage DIY.
The first question to ask your contractor is how much weight your roof can hold, according to Bruce Dvorak of the Conservation Design Forum, an Illinois-based, environmentally friendly design firm.
Extensive roofs have a soil depth of 1 to 6 inches (2.5 to 15.2 centimeters) and can handle a weight load of 15 to 50 pounds (6.8 to 22.7 kilograms) per square foot of living roof.
Intensive roofs have a soil depth of 6 to 24 inches (15.2 to 61 centimeters) and hold 80 to 150 pounds (36.3 to 68.1 kilograms) per square foot.
Extensive projects may cost as little as U.S. $8 per square foot, while intensive green roofs tend to start at $15 per square foot.
To read the full article: http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/garden/budget-green-roofs?source=email_gg_20090520&email=gg
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment