Now that winter is almost over, you can finally start planning your roof project. If you’re thinking about installing a new roof, why not consider an environmentally-friendly option that can help you save energy costs? Here are some other benefits to consider:
Photo by Katie Treadway on Unsplash
Prolong Roof Life Span
In addition to energy savings, roof gardens have a beneficial effect on roofs themselves. Most roofs, exposed as they are to sun, wind, snow and rain, go through rather large variations in temperature. These extreme temperatures cause the roof membrane to shrink in cooler weather, and expand in hot weather.
All this shrinking and swelling takes a toll on the roof, shortening its lifespan — but rooftop gardens can help. In the Canadian research noted above, the bare roof experienced daily temperature fluctuations of 83 degrees F; the roof gardens reduced this variation to just 22 degrees F. When the city of Roanoke, Va., installed a green roof on its municipal building — at a relatively low cost of $123,000 — it added 20 to 60 years to the life of the current roof. Source: TheSpruce
Positive Impact to the Environment
Having a green roof provides a habitat for many species who would not otherwise be living in a built up urban area. Also, by having plants on the top of your property, you are doing your own little bit to save the planet by providing a few more plants to process carbon dioxide and reduce your carbon footprint. If those are not reasons enough to get to gardening on the roof, consider your bank balance. Having a rooftop garden provides valuable insulation to a property, which in turn conserves energy and reduces your heating costs, which can only be a good thing. Source: DoItYourself
Avoid Sewage Overflow
Another important benefit of green roofs is their ability to reduce and slow stormwater runoff in urban environments. Because rooftops and streets in cities are hard surfaces, the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff increases tremendously and is a major source of flooding and pollution worldwide. Due to nonporous surfaces like pavement and rooftops, a typical city block generates more than five times more runoff than a woodland area of the same size. The ability a green roof has to absorb (and filter) water significantly lowers the risk of flash flooding and sewer overflows. In the summer, green roofs retain up to 90 percent of the precipitation that falls on them and up to 40 percent in the winter. Source: Sustainability
Roofing projects can be complicated! It’s better to leave it to the experts to make sure you get quality results within your budget. Call us today!
Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains Ltd.
168 W 71st Ave, Vancouver, BC V5X 4S7
(604) 360-2114
