Green Roofs: A Living Roof Over Your Head
by Tyler Kuhn
Green roofs are becoming more and more popular among residential homes and entire cities alike. Green roofs are fairly low-cost to install, around 12 to 35 dollars per square foot, and also have a vast number of benefits that can be obtained from their installation. To begin, they can double the lifespan of a roof due to the addition of multiple layers and as a result of the soil’s absorptive capacity, keeping water from reaching the roof surface. The water that also runs through the green roof is much cleaner then water that comes off asphalt shingles or any other manufactured roof covering. The runoff from roofs composed of common roofing materials contains toxins and chemicals that run off into lakes and rivers.
Green roofs can also reduce heating and cooling costs throughout the year. When the summer brings the sun beaming down, the plants or grasses on the roof will absorb the sun and instead of allowing black shingles to absorb and heat up your home, the green roof will actually keep it cool. Additionally, during the cold winter months, the soil and plants act like an extra layer of insulation and allow heat to be held in your home, thus lowering heating costs.
The “heat island” effect is a cumulative effect of large areas with asphalt roofs, conducting heat from the sun, and raising the temperature of an area higher than it should be. In large cities, the temperature can actually rise above 120 degrees fahrenheit as a result of this phenomenon. Chicago is trying to fight against this by mass producing green roofs on most buildings with help from government funding. This idea of a green roof city will help the area substantially lower energy costs for the residents and minimizing the overall collective need for air conditioning. This also has aesthetic appeal, making the city, and any home, look better.
The total effects of green roof installation are undeniably impressive: cleaner air, lower energy bills, a more beautiful home, and of course a greener Earth. Green roofs clearly have too much to offer to be overlooked as a viable climate change strategy, and should be one of the first steps traversed toward a greener, and cleaner future.
[Photo by Andrew Bachteler and Richard Monaco]
by Tyler Kuhn
Green roofs are becoming more and more popular among residential homes and entire cities alike. Green roofs are fairly low-cost to install, around 12 to 35 dollars per square foot, and also have a vast number of benefits that can be obtained from their installation. To begin, they can double the lifespan of a roof due to the addition of multiple layers and as a result of the soil’s absorptive capacity, keeping water from reaching the roof surface. The water that also runs through the green roof is much cleaner then water that comes off asphalt shingles or any other manufactured roof covering. The runoff from roofs composed of common roofing materials contains toxins and chemicals that run off into lakes and rivers.
Green roofs can also reduce heating and cooling costs throughout the year. When the summer brings the sun beaming down, the plants or grasses on the roof will absorb the sun and instead of allowing black shingles to absorb and heat up your home, the green roof will actually keep it cool. Additionally, during the cold winter months, the soil and plants act like an extra layer of insulation and allow heat to be held in your home, thus lowering heating costs.
The “heat island” effect is a cumulative effect of large areas with asphalt roofs, conducting heat from the sun, and raising the temperature of an area higher than it should be. In large cities, the temperature can actually rise above 120 degrees fahrenheit as a result of this phenomenon. Chicago is trying to fight against this by mass producing green roofs on most buildings with help from government funding. This idea of a green roof city will help the area substantially lower energy costs for the residents and minimizing the overall collective need for air conditioning. This also has aesthetic appeal, making the city, and any home, look better.
The total effects of green roof installation are undeniably impressive: cleaner air, lower energy bills, a more beautiful home, and of course a greener Earth. Green roofs clearly have too much to offer to be overlooked as a viable climate change strategy, and should be one of the first steps traversed toward a greener, and cleaner future.
[Photo by Andrew Bachteler and Richard Monaco]