Table of contents
The green roof may seem like a very distant project, something that involves a high-investment professional and a special architecture for the property. But that's not quite how it works. It is possible to build the so-called green roof and have access to the benefits of a green construction, designed to make better use of nature's own cycle, such as sun and rain.
The green roof is not exactly a novelty, but we can say that it is gaining more and more space in new and more modern constructions here in Brazil.
Abroad, in countries like the United States and Singapore, green building is already a reality and many companies and professionals here are looking for technologies to innovate in residential and commercial projects.
How does the green roof work?
The green roof is basically made up of 7 different layers to compose its structure. Each layer has a function and results in the synergy of rainwater capture and the sun's heat in the system as a whole, thus maintaining the life of the earth and plants.
See_also: Green bedroom: 30 photos and tips to choose the color for your dorm roomThe design uses the roof itself as a base, or tile, to apply the next layers. To begin with, a waterproof membrane is placed so that the entire roof area is protected against moisture. In the next step a barrier is applied against the roots of plants, which naturally grow.
On top of this, the permeable fabric allows the placement of the soil, which will absorb the rainwater that falls on the first layer, the plant or grass. It sounds easy, but every detail is planned to have an efficient and beautiful result.
Agronomist João Manuel Linck Feijó, from Ecotelhado, points out yet another advantage of the green roof: "We have developed a semi hydroponic green roof system, which facilitates dismantling in case of need, generating a significant advantage. It works as a water sheet that collects and stores rainwater to use as irrigation in dry weather. The system can also absorbgray water, reusing it", explains the professional.
Maintenance and care
Besides the maintenance itself, which is fundamental to protect the inside of the house, the common roof needs to be cleaned and even replaced from time to time. In the case of the eco-roof, the maintenance is much simpler.
The green roof project involves taking care of the plants, since with sun and rain they must grow. Apart from this, the other materials are not directly exposed to the climate, and were produced to have a longer durability. Regardless of this, the place where the green roof will be built must have easy access.
How the installation should be done
The person interested in having a green roof needs two extremely important steps for the whole procedure to be a success. The first is to look for an architect who really knows the structure of the green roof, who knows how it works, and what the basic conditions are for it to be installed.
Feijó remembers that every roof can be turned green, but not every architect has the capacity to evaluate the benefits or advantages of this type of project.However, the harmful effects of the pollution of water and air sources demand the breaking of paradigms", he says.
In the second moment, the green roof project becomes real when choosing the right company to buy the products and carry out the installation. In this practical step, the partnership between the professionals is fundamental for the project to come out as planned and transform the upper part of the property into a totally green area.
Can every property have a green roof?
There are some points that must be observed for the project to be implanted efficiently: "It is necessary to analyze the resistance of the roof structure or slab in question, as well as the waterproofing with a membrane that is resistant to roots and traffic, the guarantee of water reserve for the plants and easy access to the site", explains Feijó.
Projects that use a green roof
Now that you know how a green roof works, check out more tips on this type of roof and see how adding this green touch makes architecture even more charming:
1. the eco-roof is also synonym of leisure
The green roof is usually aligned with leisure, the project meets not only an environmental issue. According to Feijó, sustainable architecture plays, plays and interacts with human needs and the local ecology.
2. the investment to have the green roof
The sustainable project is cheaper and useful in the medium or long term, because it makes the synthesis of several managements such as water, energy, waste, food or even atmospheric. When it comes to building the project, there will certainly be a cost, and this price will be compensated exactly by the return of using nature's own system. In terms of investment, there can be a variation fromdetails of each project and, therefore, it is not possible to define an exact value for the work.
3. the benefits of the eco-roof
Let's get to know all the benefits of the green roof, but first the engineer himself reinforces the project's system of advantages: "Instead of spending energy to remove heat from a building, we prevent heat from accumulating in the surroundings. Instead of painting, we have the spontaneous renewal of leaves, among other benefits that balance the relationship of the human being with nature".
4. rainwater retention
The sustainable system includes rainwater retention, which besides watering the plants in the first layer, can be used for other purposes. This alone is an interesting saving to consider for a commercial property, for example.
5. thermal and acoustic comfort
The echo-roofing, sometimes used in exterior walls, helps to reduce external noise. The layers create a protection and prevent sound from entering the room in general. This advantage is good for all types of properties.
6. decrease of the internal temperature
One of the goals of the green roof is precisely to help cool the property, thus decreasing the feeling of heat in the environment, not to mention that it also helps save energy with air conditioning.
7. decrease of the external temperature
Just as greenery helps to eliminate pollution, it also helps to cool the environment. The more plants and trees, the cooler the air, and in some cases, like mountains and hills, even cooler.
8. reduces pollution
More green, less pollution. This equation is simple, and many metropolitan regions suffer from the strong heat, the hot asphalt, and the emission of carbon dioxide. The sum of these factors, with the absence of green, worsens the air quality. On the contrary, with more trees and more plants, the air becomes cleaner, ideal for breathing.
9. promotes coexistence with nature
In many projects the green roof has become a kind of leisure area. In these cases, or even in properties where there is only room for maintenance, the eco-roof promotes this contact, makes the landscapes more beautiful and greener, and inspires the half-gray everyday life in large urban centers.
10. brings beauty to gray concrete
Dozens of places get a new face with the green roof. What was once gray becomes a vast, beautiful green. Many projects cause a visible change in the landscape of the area where the property is located.
11. new or adapted?
Is it worthwhile to project the green roof on a new building or to adapt it on an older building? Feijó explains that the great idea of the project is precisely "to consider the existing resources and take advantage of them whenever they are advantageous. It is easy for the architect who understands these relationships and quantifies them. Hence the importance of informed professionals with a broad vision of integrated management.
12. ideal plants for the green roof
Some factors are considered important when choosing which plant species will be used in the project. It is necessary to choose the plants that will meet the needs of the site and adapt to the region of the property.
13. well being for the residents
Now, can you imagine having a property with a green space, being possible even to visit the outside environment in some cases, and enjoy a day of rest on a slab all covered by nature?
14. ecoparede
In addition to the green roof, there is also the ecowall project. The idea of the wall with plants is basically the same as the green roof, changing only the region of the property where the system is being installed.
15. low maintenance plants
When choosing plants, the specialist considers two important points: the low maintenance, when you don't need to take care of them daily, and the species of the region that can be placed in the garden in a low depth, such as in slabs with only 7 centimeters.
16. peanut grass
The peanut grass is one of the wildcard species for these projects. Besides adorning the site with small yellow flowers, the grass forms a forage that does not need periodic pruning, avoiding that extra work common in gardens.
17. conventional garden
Compared to a conventional garden, there are many advantages to having a green roof. The first advantage is saving water and not having to water, since the project already provides for a reservoir and distribution of this water. Besides this, there is no need for constant pruning and no need to worry about weeds, for example.
18. conventional roof
In some parts of the property it is possible to change the conventional roof and opt to use the garden on top. The cost itself can be much lower if the wooden structure and tiles are put on.
19. temperature drop
The green roof allows for a temperature drop of up to 18 degrees inside the property in hot weather. In cold weather, the thermal blanket reverses, causing the heat to stay inside the house, dampening the low temperature.
20. green terrace
It is possible to go beyond and unite concrete space with a real garden. Many construction companies are beginning to bet on the green terrace, a project that unites complete leisure with a large garden. Can you imagine the top of a building with a beautiful green area?
21. waterproofing is indispensable
The waterproofing issue is fundamental so that the project does not cause headaches in the future. That is why a well designed and organized project is so important. The ideal is that a company does this, because besides safety, there are still guarantees.
22. consult an expert
Making a roof with plants or grass involves consulting a specialist to analyze the structure of the house, as well as the region where you thought of placing the green area. Only a report can state whether or not the slab can support the weight.
23. promote nature
If you cannot yet invest in an eco-roof or any other way to take advantage of nature's resources, bet on simple attitudes in everyday life. Have more plants at home or bet on reusing water to wash the yard, for example.
24. technology in favor of nature
The different layers used to build the eco-roof are the result of materials developed from the technology, capable, for example, of preventing the infiltration of the water captured by the system.
25. green roof on a public building
The Brasilia campus of the Federal Institute of Brasilia (IFB) is one of the first in the country to receive the rooftop project, becoming a model building in ecological and sustainable construction among the Federal Government agencies headquartered in the city.
See_also: 40 house entry templates for a fabulous facade26: Isn't solar energy a green roof?
No. Solar energy is another technology that can also be used in part of the roof. The objective of this type of project is to capture sunlight and transform it into energy, as explained by engineer Waldemar de Oliveira Junior, from Instaladora Solar: "Both solutions are 'green', in the sense of sustainability, environmental preservation and energy saving.The green modules generate electricity, reducing this expense to less than 10%, and the solar panels also reflect the heat, reducing the heating of the building," explains the professional.
Check out more eco-roofing projects
Every picture gives a different idea for a project at home, doesn't it? So check out 30 more green roof ideas:
27. sustainable home
28. green roof even at your best friend's house
29. green engineering
30. the installation of the plants must always be done by a professional
31. at the beach house
32. hanging garden with barbecue
33. open space
34. external area
35. complete green roof project
36. surrounded by nature
37. large green roof
38. night beauty
39. projected garden area
40. country house
41. wide slab with green
42. eco-roof for receiving friends and family
43. touch of elegance in the house
44 Covering with grass
45. green roof with trees
46. veranda with green roof
47. garden and pool
48. covered walkway with plants
49. complete green roof
50. green roof garden
51. tree-roofed
52. wooden house
53 Green area for circulation
54. small garden
55. eco-roof to relax
Then think about the savings that you and your family can have in the long term with the use of a green roof, besides giving a new face to your home and, in addition, collaborating with the environment. Invest!
