Which Green Roof is Best for Your Business?

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Which Green Roof is Best for Your Business?

Most people think there’s only one type of green roof – but actually, there are a variety of different options; and each offers something unique to your business.

If you want to improve the eco-credentials of your premises, here’s a low-down of the main types of green roofing you can choose from.

Different Types of Green Roofing

• Extensive / Sedum green roofs. This is the most common form of green roof, and is popular due to the fact that it’s fairly low-maintenance and excellent for the environment. Sedum is often the vegetation of choice for an extensive green roof, as it’s robust, cheap to grow, and is also very lightweight – an important factor for a roof!There are several benefits to selecting an extensive, sedum green roof. In addition to supporting the environment, they’re also easy to install – both in new builds and on existing buildings. It’s also simple to customise the space, by adding plug plants. However, these types of roof are not generally suitable for use as a ‘garden’ – and are mainly for ecological and decorative purposes.
• Semi-intensive green roofs. These types of green roof often feature a deeper substrate and better drainage solution, which means you can vary your choice of plants considerably. This is an excellent option for visible areas of roof, where appearances are important.On semi-intensive green roofing, you can not only grow grass, but also small shrubs and other types of plant. However, due to the nature of the green roof, you’ll have to devote some time to maintaining it – otherwise the plants will die!
• Intensive green roofs. As the name suggests, intensive green roofing requires a high level of landscaping, as they’re designed to be used as a roof garden. Appearance-wise, they look no different to standard gardens found at ground-level; with mowed lawns, shrubs and larger plants.The obvious advantage of creating an intensive green roof space is that you’ll have an outdoor area for your staff to enjoy, and you’ll be helping the environment at the same time.
• Biodiverse roofing. Biodiverse green roofs are the best choice in environmental terms. They often incorporate recycled materials, such as logs or gravel, to create a habitable area for wildlife to flourish – like bees, butterflies and other insects. Sometimes, you’ll hear these roofs referred to as ‘brown roofs’ due to their colour.Although biodiverse roofs aren’t quite as visually attractive as some other green roofs, their eco-credentials make a powerful statement about your business, and emphasise how much you prioritise sustainability in the workplace.

Which Green Roof for Your Business?

Choosing a green roof for your company depends on a number of different factors. You’ll need to ask yourself the following:

• How visible will the roof be?
• Do I want my staff to be able to use the area as a garden?
• What are my priorities? For example, do I want to reduce heating bills with a green roof that keeps the heat in, or is developing a biodiverse area for wildlife more important?

For expert advice about green roofing for your business, simply get in touch with IPS Roofing today by calling 01969 625000.