Green Rooftops

See What Going Green Can Do For You

GREEN ROOFS - Its not just for sedums anymore

Click to here to see the latest Pictures of the new WAVE Transit Green Rooftop

Click here to see some of our green rooftop pictures

Click here to see pictures of the Betty Cameron Womens & Children's Hospital Green Rooftop

Click here to see our latest rain garden pictures

Green walls provide as much bill-saving insulation as green roofs, and they are beautiful to see.

We are looking to the future, to a world where carbon-trading is the rule and companies are eager to offset their carbon footprint. What better way to do that than to cover your building with greenery?

Green walls help offset the urban heat island effect: All the heat-absorbing surfaces in a city raise its temperature to as much as 8 degrees higher than that of the surrounding countryside.

In Chicago, 2.5 million square feet of downtown roof space is covered with plants and grass which is great for lowering heating and air-conditioning costs (by 10 percent or more) and dramatically reducing rainwater runoff.

Did you know that the total square roof footage of green roofs in the United States is growing by an amazing 125 percent a year!

Some people are getting even more forward-thinking bu installing green walls, and they are taking off fast! We can install plant-filled wall panels to go on any vertical surface.

It's time for you to find your green thumb!

There is a lot of growing to do, and a lot of walls and roofs to do it on!

 

WHY BUILD GREEN ROOFS ?
(Planting vegetation on rooftops in 2î or more of growing medium)

Insulative effect saves +/- 10% heating & cooling costs and equipment last longer.

Roof membrane lasts 2-3 times longer because there is no UV or expansion / contraction.

Storm water management. Vegetation & growing medium absorb rain.

Mitigates urban heat island effect.

Over 2 million sq.ft. of green roofs in Chicago.


FRIENDS OF MOTT LANDSCAPING

Cape Fear Green Buildings Alliance
Going Green Magazine
Sapona Green Building Center
Green Rooftops for Healthly Cities

GREEN ROOFS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Green roofs, also known as vegetated roof covers, eco-roofs or nature roofs, are multi-beneficial structural components that help to mitigate the effects of urbanization on water quality by filtering, absorbing or detaining rainfall. They are constructed of a lightweight soil media, underlain by a drainage layer, and a hight quality impermeable membrane that protects the building structure. The soil is planted with a specialized mix of plants that can thrive in the harsh, dry, high temperature conditions of the roof and tolerate short periods of inundation from storm events.

Historically, engineered green roofs originated in northern Europe, where sod roofs and walls have been utilized as construction materials for hundreds of years. The development on contemporary approaches to green roof technology began in the urban areas of Germany over 30 years ago. Because of ongoing water quality degradation and a limited existing infrastructure for the control of storm water in these areas, few alternatives were available for improved storm water management designs. Environmental and economic considerations helped spur the development of green roof systems that could provide the necessary storm water treatment on-site. Roofscapes, Inc. have developed a numerical saturate-unsaturated flow simulation model that investigates the variables influencing the effectiveness of green roofs.

Green roofs provide storm water management benefits by:

• Utilizing the biological, physical, and chemical processes found in the plant and soil complex to prevent airborne pollutants from entering the storm drain system.

• Reducing the runoff volume and peak discharge rate by holding back and slowing down the water that would otherwise flow quickly into the storm drain system.

Green roofs are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they also:

• Reduce city “heat island” effect

• Reduce CO ₂ impact

• Reduce summer air conditioning cost

• Potentially lengthen roof life 2 to 3 times

• Treat nitrogen pollution in rain

• Negate acid rain effectiveness

• Help reduce volume and peak rates of storm water

The hydrologic processes that can be influenced by design choices and aid in the management of storm water include:

• Interception of rainfall by foliage, and subsequent evaporation

• Reduction in the velocity of runoff

• Infiltration

• Percolation

• Shallow subterranean flow, through the soil

• Root zone moisture uptake and evapotranspiration