Roofing Materials
Green and Living Roofs
Green roofs put soil and plants over a waterproof membrane, which protects the membrane from sunlight and holds back stormwater that would otherwise hit the sewer all at once.
What It Is
Layers of membrane, root barrier, drainage, growing medium and planting. The living part is the top. The roof underneath is still a membrane roof and it is the part that must be perfect, because reaching it later means moving a garden.
Where It Wins
- The membrane lasts far longer out of the ultraviolet light
- Holds back a real volume of stormwater during a downpour
- Insulates and cools the building under it
- May help with local stormwater requirements on a commercial project
Where It Does Not
- Structural weight is the first question and often the last
- The most expensive roof on this list to build
- It is a garden, so it needs a maintenance plan and somebody to do it
- A leak under it is very hard to find and expensive to reach
In the Quad Cities
Occasionally right on a civic or institutional building in the Quad Cities, particularly where stormwater is being managed on site. Very rarely right on a house.
Ask for a Sample Board
Colors on a screen are close. Colors outdoors against your siding are the real answer, and we will bring one.