With global warming and pollution being ever-present topics on the news, it is important for everyone to contribute to making the world a cleaner place. One way to do this is to use ecologically friendly materials when building your home. The wave of the future is green roofing.

A green roof is a roof that is covered with vegetation. Essentially a rooftop garden, green roofs were developed in the 1960s in Germany, and have become quite popular in many European countries. It is only recently however, that green roof technology has begun to catch on in the U.S.

A green roof is excellent for city dwellers who often lack green space such as a yard or a deck. The addition of a green roof can provide a space to express one’s creativity, and bring nature back to the city. In fact, by planting native vegetation, you can invite insects, birds, and butterflies that would otherwise have nowhere else to go. As an added benefit, green rooftops are aesthetically pleasing and offer a visual contrast to the pavement and steel that dominates the cityscape.

The environmental benefits of a green roof are many, and include the reduction of water runoff that occurs with typical homes. A reduction of runoff is good for the entire community, as too much runoff can result in flooding and water contamination. Because green roofs feature soil and plant life, these roofs are able to absorb as much as 75% of falling rainwater. This moisture is then released back into the air through condensation. A typical roof on the other hand is built to be totally waterproof, so every drop of water runs off and drains into the sewers.

Besides reducing water runoff, green roofs are also able to reduce the presence of toxins in the environment. Pollutants in the air and water, as well as carbon dioxide are absorbed by plant life and rendered harmless. These plants also produce oxygen.

Not only are green roofs great for the environment, but they are also an excellent investment. A properly installed green roof can last at least twice as long as typical roofing material, thereby saving you thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs.

Green roofing can also significantly reduce your heating and cooling bills throughout the year. According to a recent study, building a green roof can reduce your heating and cooling needs by 26%. In cities especially, changes need to be made to the way that structures are built. Temperatures in cities are much higher than in surrounding areas because there is such a prevalence of buildings in a small area. These buildings are made with traditional materials, which absorb and then re-direct the sun’s heat. Cities are therefore much hotter than rural areas where there are less structures, and more green space. In order to combat the rising temperatures, some cities are offering incentives to builders to add green roofing to their projects.

If you decide to build a green roof, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, there are two types of green roofs. Traditional style roof gardens, which feature large plants or lawns, require a great deal of maintenance. Feeding, watering, and soil care are all necessary to keep this garden in good condition. Extensive roof gardens on the other hand, have only a thin layer of soil, and require very little work to maintain.

Great for the environment, good for your pocket book, and pleasing to the eye, green roofs are a budding trend that can have a positive impact on the environment. Not only that, but a well constructed green roof can increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars.

Related Green Roofs Articles

With global warming and pollution being ever-present topics on the news, it is important for everyone to contribute to making the world a cleaner place. One way to do this is to use ecologically friendly materials when building your home. The wave of the future is green roofing.

A green roof is a roof that is covered with vegetation. Essentially a rooftop garden, green roofs were developed in the 1960s in Germany, and have become quite popular in many European countries. It is only recently however, that green roof technology has begun to catch on in the U.S.

A green roof is excellent for city dwellers who often lack green space such as a yard or a deck. The addition of a green roof can provide a space to express one’s creativity, and bring nature back to the city. In fact, by planting native vegetation, you can invite insects, birds, and butterflies that would otherwise have nowhere else to go. As an added benefit, green rooftops are aesthetically pleasing and offer a visual contrast to the pavement and steel that dominates the cityscape.

The environmental benefits of a green roof are many, and include the reduction of water runoff that occurs with typical homes. A reduction of runoff is good for the entire community, as too much runoff can result in flooding and water contamination. Because green roofs feature soil and plant life, these roofs are able to absorb as much as 75% of falling rainwater. This moisture is then released back into the air through condensation. A typical roof on the other hand is built to be totally waterproof, so every drop of water runs off and drains into the sewers.

Besides reducing water runoff, green roofs are also able to reduce the presence of toxins in the environment. Pollutants in the air and water, as well as carbon dioxide are absorbed by plant life and rendered harmless. These plants also produce oxygen.

Not only are green roofs great for the environment, but they are also an excellent investment. A properly installed green roof can last at least twice as long as typical roofing material, thereby saving you thousands of dollars in repair and replacement costs.

Green roofing can also significantly reduce your heating and cooling bills throughout the year. According to a recent study, building a green roof can reduce your heating and cooling needs by 26%. In cities especially, changes need to be made to the way that structures are built. Temperatures in cities are much higher than in surrounding areas because there is such a prevalence of buildings in a small area. These buildings are made with traditional materials, which absorb and then re-direct the sun’s heat. Cities are therefore much hotter than rural areas where there are less structures, and more green space. In order to combat the rising temperatures, some cities are offering incentives to builders to add green roofing to their projects.

If you decide to build a green roof, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, there are two types of green roofs. Traditional style roof gardens, which feature large plants or lawns, require a great deal of maintenance. Feeding, watering, and soil care are all necessary to keep this garden in good condition. Extensive roof gardens on the other hand, have only a thin layer of soil, and require very little work to maintain.

Great for the environment, good for your pocket book, and pleasing to the eye, green roofs are a budding trend that can have a positive impact on the environment. Not only that, but a well constructed green roof can increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars.

Related Green Roofs Articles

Rain gutters are quiet but critical components of a building’s roofing system. They have the important job of capturing rainwater at the roof edge then controlling and directing it away from the structure. Rain gutters are also called eaves troughs or eaves channel guttering. Rain gutters are designed to help protect your home from the elements. Without rain gutters, rain races down the slope of your roof, splashes down against your siding, windows, doors, and foundation, erodes soil around your foundation, and gets into basements and crawl spaces. Rain gutters are one of the best investments a homeowner can make. Not only do they help prevent excess settling near the foundation by directing rainwater away from the structure, but they also help preserve painted surfaces around the house by keeping roof water from running over them or splashing up from the ground.

Protection

You could say that rain gutters are the house exterior’s main protection, making them one of the wisest home improvement investments you can make. Rain gutters are attached to facia plates (or to exposed ends of rafters) by a variety of different types of attachments. One of the most common–and presumably the least expensive–type of rain gutter attachment merely comprises a long, common nail and a tubular spacer having a length equal to the inner width of the rain gutter at its top, the nail being substantially longer than the tubular spacer.

Seamless Gutters

Seamless rain gutters are also known as continuous rain gutters and are long overhangs on your roof and your property is evaluated fast inclined, they are essential for the flow of roof of advance far from your house. There are many advantages related to the seamless rain gutters. Seamless rain gutters minimize the possibility of blocked rain gutters and offer better protection against the water damage associated with pooling water and water backing up onto the roof. Seamless copper is available in the above-mentioned sizes as well. Other shapes such as box gutter, fascia gutter, or custom designs are fabricated in our sheet metal shop and installed in 10ft sections.

Seamless Gutter Machines: A seamless gutter machine is a type of roll forming machine that shapes flat metal coil stock to form a rain gutter. Roll forming metal is a technology that dates back about 100 years, although it was not applied to the gutter industry until around 1960. Seamless gutters are usually created on-site at your home by a contractor with a gutter machine. This is easier than transporting big gutter sections in a truck. Choice of Material you can chose rain gutters made from a variety of materials.

Copper Gutters

Copper is the most expensive gutter material, costing $7-$12 per linear foot. Copper will also acquire a greenish patina as it ages, making it a popular choice for period homes. If you prefer the shiny look of new copper, you can buy treated copper that stays as bright as a new penny. Copper gutters are traditional appearance and natural color.

Vinal Gutters

Vinyl is the least expensive material, costing about $1 per linear foot. But vinyl has a low durability. Vinyl is the least expensive material, costing about $1 per linear foot. It can become brittle and break in cold climates, and exposure strong sunlight will cause the vinyl to break down over time. Vinyl is the least expensive material, costing about $1 per linear foot. It can become brittle and break in cold climates, and exposure strong sunlight will cause the vinyl to break down over time.

Aluminum Gutters

Aluminum is the most popular material for gutters. Aluminum guttering systems has been enhanced to a significant extent in last few years. Paint used to come out from aluminum gutters before. Aluminum is the most popular material for gutters. It is inexpensive, lightweight, and rust-proof, plus it is available in many colors.

Aluminum gutters come in several colors from which to choose. A baked enamel coating gives the gutters a clean, crisp look with a finish that last for years. Aluminum gutters are the most common type used by far. There are many advantages to using aluminum that are attractive to homeowners everywhere.

Installing Gutters

Installing rain gutters yourself isn’t as difficult as you might think. If you’re a weekend handyman you can do the project yourself on most homes. Install the end caps, splice gutter pieces and make sure that you get the exact length required for the roof of your house. Measure the sections of gutter and cut them to the desirable size. Installing rain gutters is usually an afterthought as most newly built houses do not come with them installed. However if you want to take proper care of your house they are essential.

Downspouts

Downspouts prevent water from pooling beside your foundation and seeping into your basement. Downspouts that are clogged or improperly installed negate any benefits that your rain gutter system is designed to offer. The two main styles of residential rain gutter downspouts are square (rectangular) and round. Downspouts protect the home’s roof, siding and foundation from water damage and help prevent flooding of the home’s basement.

Downspouts and rain gutters are sized in relation to rainfall on this basis. Plumbing codes typically use the vertically projected roof area for drainage design and they often use a square foot allowance per square inch of downspout for 1 in./hr.(25 mm/hr) rainfall that varies with diameter, for example, 3 in.(76 mm): 911(85); 4 in.(102 mm):1100 (102); 5 in.(127 mm):1280 (119);6 in.(152 mm):1400 (130) and 8 in.(203 mm):1750 (163) sq.

Copper rain chains that serve as downspouts, are more known for their aesthetics than for their efficiency to transport water. These appear even more beautiful if you have a garden around the home. But for transporting serious rain water nothing beats a downspout.