These are actually one and the same thing. Having vegetation growing on your roof space is not a new idea. Northern European dwellings have long used roof vegetation to help make life more comfortable where there are extreme weather conditions for large parts of the year. The concept of making the most of your flat roof space, and using plants to help to achieve this is something that is in fact popular and highly relevant in the UK for a number of reasons.
Obviously, environmental considerations are high on the agenda these days. Whether it’s reducing the heat islands that are created by so many traditional roof spaces in urban areas, improving the air quality through absorption of carbon, filtering of pollutants, and better management of humidity, or simply providing more green spaces, green roofs provide a positive step forward. Bio-diverse green roofs can be allowed to develop in the same way as a meadow would. This means the restoration of environments long gone in built-up areas. This in turn will bring with it the return of the associated insects and wildlife.
When it comes to managing weather conditions, layers of vegetation on the roof can mean that conditions are cooler inside the building in the summer, and yet warmer in the winter. This incidentally, can also be a significant way to save money on heating bills on the winter, and cooling / air conditioning in the summer. When there is very heavy rain which there seems to be more often in the UK now, a layer of vegetation on the roof in the form of a green roof can relieve the strain on the drainage system of the building and the wider drain and sewerage system by releasing rainwater run-off slowly.
It may also be the case that local authorities would look more kindly on planning consent for green roofs / living roofs for many of the reasons mentioned above.
If you’d like to know more about making the most of your flat roof space with a green roof / living roof, call Kevin on or 0800 298 6960 contact us via the website.
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