GREEN ROOFS
Green roofs available in our offer are a system solution based on extensive vegetation, which is distinguished by a low load and minimum vegetation requirements. It looks great both on single-family houses and large-surface buildings, including office buildings. In addition to being an extraordinary decoration for a building, it also performs a number of practical functions. Based on our many years of experience, we will be happy to help you choose them.
The extensive XERO FLOR green roof system does not require any special conditions. It is easy to install and can be matched to any type of roof covering and structure. The greenery is manufactured on a special carrier that is resistant to loads, does not shrink or stretch, does not degrade over time, and is resistant to weather conditions.
The XERO FLOR system offers solutions for green roofs on structures with a slope from 0o to 45o and a maximum weight in a water-soaked condition from 45 to 145 kg/m2 depending on the structure and height of the building.
Why are green roofs a must?
The space of many cities, not only Polish ones, is characterized by an insufficient number of green areas. One way to deal with this issue is to choose a green roof. The roof garden will not only make our building more attractive and extend the life of the roofing - it will also have a positive effect on the thermal and acoustic insulation of our apartment, air cleanliness in its vicinity and the proper level of groundwater. We invite you to read a short history of green roofs and the most important advantages of their use.
A roof with an area of 15 m2 produces oxygen for 10 people per year. At the same time, it can absorb 10-20% of dust and gases from the air.
In summer a roof covered with bituminous roofing heats up to 60-70 oC, a green roof only to 25-40 oC.
A HISTORY OF GREEN ROOFS
Despite appearances, green roofs are not a novelty at all. Their history goes back to ancient times - the hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the world, is the best example that greenery was placed on the roofs of houses in the earliest times. For many centuries, green roofs have also been known in the Nordic countries, especially in Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. So it can be said that choosing a green roof is a return to good practices known to mankind for centuries.
In the 1920s, one of the most famous promoters of green roofs was the French architect Le Corbusier. He believed that green, next to the sun and space, should have a decisive influence on modern urban architecture, which would provide city inhabitants with comfort, safety and functionality. He perceived the roof as the fifth façade that could be successfully greened. The first economical apartment in line with Le Corbusier's recommendations were built in France before the Second World War, and then began to appear in many cities all over the world.
ADVANTAGES OF GREEN ROOFS
Green is rare in the urban fabric of many cities. Gray urban buildings are tiresome for the eye and may cause a feeling of overwhelming. Looking at a green roof calms and relaxes, just like a walk in a park or forest.
It is well known that greenery helps to eliminate the urban heat island effect, i.e. a huge temperature difference between city centers and outskirts. The roof garden enables to reduce the air temperature in its immediate vicinity which allows to lower energy costs for air conditioning, both in the building on which it is installed and on a city-wide scale.
Solar radiation causes fading of roof tiles and destruction of roof membranes. The green roof absorbs UV radiation, it also protects the roofing from strong winds, which allows to extend the life of the roof two or even three times.
The plant layer of the green roof, as well as the substrate and the drainage layer absorb water well, preventing its circulation. Rainwater is cleaned, and its discharge to the sanitary sewer system is delayed, which helps to maintain the correct level of groundwater.
Green roofs are able to absorb 10 to 20% of harmful dusts and gases in the air annually. A green roof with a small area of 10 m2 is able to absorb as much pollution a year and produce as much oxygen as a 4-meter tree.
A green roof can be compared to a barrier that covers a building. Extensive vegetation on the roof means not only a quieter interior, but also a lower noise level in the urban space.
As mentioned above, a green roof makes the building look natural and its roofing is not damaged, which directly affects the value of the property
Green has a soothing effect on people, calms them down and makes them less stressed and more cooperative. Scientific research has proven that cities with a large percentage of green areas are characterized by lower rates of aggression and crime.
EXTENSIVE VEGETATION ON THE ROOF – a practical, environmentally-friendly and impressive solution
The use of vegetation on the roofs and facades of buildings is an important element of architectural space shaping.
Green roof systems allow to hide the installation devices located there, create homogeneous compositions by combining greenery at different levels: vegetation in the apartment, on the terrace, roof and in the building's surroundings. Placing extensive plants on the roof also allows to create characteristic plant elements that distinguish individual buildings.
One of the greatest architects of the twentieth century, Le Corbusier, who called the roof "the fifth facade", wrote that: "(...) The roof - garden will be a favorite place to stay at home, besides it means for the city to regain all the space lost for development”. He believed that roof gardens would bring people closer to nature, and for this reason he placed their construction at the forefront of his new architecture program. Today, when we need more and more houses, factories, offices, shops, streets and parking lots, so Le Corbusier's message is of particular importance. The use of new places, where green areas may be created, becomes a necessity.
