Build and Rebuild » Building & Landscaping

Three Types of Roof Garden

Megan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Roof gardens are built for both their aesthetic and their functional values. A roof garden can provide temperature control, architectural enhancement, hydrological benefits, and of course food. It can also serve as a habitat for wildlife. There are a number of advantages when you plant a roof garden. It can cool the room below it, especially during a hot day. During winter, it provides insulation against the cold. In Germany, roof gardens are required to retain water from evaporating. It will prevent flash floods from occurring. There are three basic types of roof garden. They differ according to the maintenance they require, the type of plants the roof will support and the depth of the soil. The three types of roof gardens are:

Extensive Roof Garden

This is the easiest type of roof garden to maintain because it uses shallow soil. Extensive roof gardens are lightweight, and ideal for the roofs on garages, sheds, and other small extensions of the home. Although it’s easy to maintain this type of roof garden, it has the least aesthetic value, and the number of plants that can grow on it is quite limited. Examples of plants you can grow in an extensive roof garden are lichens and mosses. Lichens are symbiotic organisms that can colonize on surfaces such as glass, metal and plastic. Mosses are small green plants that do not require large quantities of nutrients for survival. They cling on stone and walls and, can live off of rainwater alone.

Semi-extensive Roof Garden

This type of roof garden has deeper soil, and can support a larger variety of plants. It can therefore be decorated more easily than the extensive roof garden. The soil is heavier in a semi-extensive roof garden, and requires a stronger structure in order to support it. One could plant sedums in this type of garden. These are succulents that can store water in their tissues. That means you won’t need to go out and water them every day – but during times of drought, they could die and turn patchy if not properly cared for. On a semi-extensive roof garden, you can also plant wildflowers that can grow without any maintenance.

Intensive Roof Garden

This type of roof garden can support trees and elaborate arrangements. Intensive roof gardens require large, strong structures to support them. Most homes are not suitable for this type of roof garden, but they can be found on concrete buildings and on top of roof decks. There’s no limit to what you can plant in an intensive roof garden, so long as the structure of the building can support the weight.

Vegetation Blankets

Another interesting option for green roofing is the use of Vegetation Blankets. For more information, see Vegetation for Roof and Ground Covering. Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wengs/ / CC BY 2.0

C8K9XUX8GWQ4

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Three Types of Roof Garden.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

White Roofs?

Megan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:59:14 +0000

You may have heard something about "white roofs" in the news but you may not know how they can help our planet, or a maintenance budget. I’ll try to clear things up a bit.

First, A few definitions, for the purpose of this article only.

a. White roof: A roof that is white in color and has a high rate of reflection of the sun’s energy.

b. Green roof: Any type of roof that will help our planet. Most white roofs are considered to be "green"

c. Planted roof: A roof that actually has plants growing on it.

d. Black roof: Old style roofs consisting of asphalt, rubber, or a combination of the two.

Most all of the commercial buildings in the world use black roofs. Because they are black, they soak up the sun’s energy like a sponge.

That’s bad for several reasons. Commercial roofs and pavement are the major factors in the "heat island effect" in major cities. Black roofs are typically almost twice the ambient air temperature on a hot day. Much of that heat is transferred into the building and places a tremendous load on the air conditioners, which use enormous amounts of electricity to keep the building comfortable. Black roofs have been around for decades because there were no alternatives.

White roofs. You might think you could just paint a black roof white and be done with it. Unfortunately, roofs expand and contract constantly. White paint will crack and leak almost immediately. We use acrylic elastomeric materials for our roofing systems. These materials will expand and contract up to 300%. They also reflect up to 85% of the sun’s energy, including UV. This virtually eliminates the heat island effect of that building, and will typically save up to 50% of the energy needed to cool the building. The energy savings with this type of roof are why energy czar Chu is traveling all over the world promoting white roofs. The total amount of energy savings potential is incredible, especially on a world wide basis. Upfront cost is comparable to a black roof, but a white roof will typically pay for itself in 4-7 years with energy savings alone.

Planted roofs are becoming more popular every day for several reasons. Many metropolitan areas in the US are having huge problems with excessive rain run off. A planted roof helps because it will soak up a great deal of moisture before it becomes saturated. In some cities, they are even growing vegetables on the roof. The major problems with a planted roof are cost and weight. A roof can only hold so much weight before it will collapse. Black roofs are quite heavy already so the ideal solution is to have a lightweight membrane underneath the plants to seal the roof. Flat roofs have always been hard to seal, having plants on top may preserve the covered portion of the roof, but there are almost always walking spaces for servicing equipment on the roof. Having to remove all the plants to service the actual roof surface would be very expensive, so we recommend a modern elastomeric membrane underneath so there will be no maintenance for many, many years. Planted roofs are beautiful, the plants produce oxygen, they reduce the heat island effect, and they save even more energy than a white roof, and they help tremendously with run off water. But, they must be done right in order not to leak.

White roofs, green roofs, and planted roofs may qualify for various tax credit programs which will help make them more attractive to building owners.

We can convert virtually any roof to a green roof. From the smallest Mom and Pop store, to the largest buildings on the planet, anywhere in the US.

If you own a building, or know some one who does, have them contact us to see what we can do. We only have one planet, let’s make sure our kids and grand-kids have a place to live.

Web site: White Roof Pros

Email: kwright@white-roof-pros.com

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at White Roofs?.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Green Construction with Wind and Solar Energy

Megan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:54:04 +0000

“Green Building” can mean more than just building environmentally-friendly or energy-efficient structures – clean energy and green techniques can also be used during the construction process itself. This videos show how 150 construction workers in Binghamton, New York are on the job without a single conventional generator in use. Instead, their entire project is powered by wind and solar energy systems. Needless to say, the final products of their work will be energy efficient as well.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Green Construction with Wind and Solar Energy.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Vegetation Blankets for Green Roofing and More

Megan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:37:57 +0000

Vegetation blankets can be used to create green roofs, but they aren’t limited to just that.

A vegetation blanket consists of a layer of fiber covered in a substrate on which plant life can live; with various plant species growing on it.

These blankets can be used to cover roofs, roundabouts, sound barrier walls, and embankments – to name a few. They can literally be rolled up for transport and then unrolled on top of the surface you wish to cover.

Due to their flexibility, they are also versatile and can lie over a curved roof, a sloping surface, or just about any otherwise awkward area. They are light-weight, insulating, and low-maintenance.

What’s more, they are quite eco-friendly. A green roof can be used to absorb and evaporate water runoff that would otherwise be wasted – or even worse, that would flood sewer systems and pollute rivers (as is the case in Portland, Oregon, for example).

Furthermore, a roof which is covered in live vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and emits oxygen, thus helping to restore balance on a carbon-heavy planet that currently needs all the vegetation and plant life we can put on it.

For more information on vegetation blankets, where to get them, related services, and other details, please see this product description of Sedum Vegetation Blankets.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Vegetation Blankets for Green Roofing and More.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Detroit – from Industrial Giant to Sustainable Green City?

Megan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:29:41 +0000

Detroit – also referred to as “the city in ruins,” is shrinking. Vast areas of land have remained unused and unwanted, and no one seems to be too interested in taking over – besides nature, that is.

New projects, however, have sprung up around the prospective ghost-town. Taking advantage of vacant space, urban farming and organic gardening began to spread within the city. As of August 2009, there were an estimated 875 urban gardens throughout the city.

Could Detrit become a self sustaining, green city?

More information on Detroit’s potential as a green city can be found at the following links:

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Detroit – from Industrial Giant to Sustainable Green City?.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Straw Bale Construction

Megan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:26:49 +0000

From the Ground up, by a Single Mom

This is a great video from a single mom who built her own straw bale home for $50,000 while working still full time and living on the land. She gives some excellent advice here for anyone who is considering building their own straw bale home, from labor, to coding, to construction.

She also has a great website, HouseOfStraw.com, which I definitely recommend to anyone who is considering straw bale construction for their home, or sustainable green building in general. You will find great information, from someone who has been through it all.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Straw Bale Construction.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Greenhouse Kits

Megan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:50:11 +0000

Establishing and utilizing a home greenhouse is an excellent way to save money on groceries, follow a healthier and more nutritious diet, conserve on energy, and help the environment at the same time. But greenhouses don’t grow on trees – they have to be built. Not all of us have a professional builder in the family, or the budget to hire a specialist.

This is where greenhouse kits come in handy. If you aren’t looking for elaborate design but you need a basic and simple greenhouse for home use, this is a great way to get started without a large investment of time or money.

Greenhouse kits vary widely in cost and design. A very simple and economical variety can be found for under $40.00 or $50.00. This small greenhouse might consist of nothing more than a 2 foot square fabric tent where you can house a few plants and extend their growing season.

In this price-range, you can also find a basic enclosure system for a greenhouse, which will provide the framework and support that can then be covered in the material of your choice.

Moving up the line, you can find a more serious set-up for anywhere between $400 and $900, which includes either fabric or glass walls, and provides enough space to grow a full set of vegetables or other plants. Larger greenhouses, from 10 to 20 square feet in size, cost a few thousand dollars. But this might still be far simpler than building the entire structure on your own.

Once you’ve found and purchased the greenhouse kit that’s right for you, you will need to assemble it yourself, just as you would with any other kit. But you will have step-by-step instructions and all the parts you need, cut and sized to fit, and tested by the manufacturers.

While setting up a greenhouse requires an investment of time and money, you should be able to recoup your investment over time, providing that you actually use your greenhouse. The amount of money that can be saved by growing one’s own food is easy to underestimate – particularly where large families are concerned.

Growing food inside a greenhouse is extroverting, fun, and educational. It can make it possible for you to grow foods at all times of year, instead of being limited to certain seasons. It can be very frustrating to go out and buy gardening equipment and seeds, only to get so busy with work that by the time you are ready to work on your garden, it is too late in the year.

A greenhouse can give you the extra leeway you need, and make it possible to have fresh home-grown vegetables year-round. It might also make it possible for you to grow the plants which normally wouldn’t grow in your region at all. Such as – who knows, habaneros in Montana?

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Greenhouse Kits.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Recycled Composite Decking

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:39:14 +0000

Splinter Free Living

Wooden decks and railings are hard to maintain, not to mention being splinter territory. What’s more, they’re not usually environmentally sustainable due to their use of premium forest products. For this reason alone Recycled composite decking is by far the best and coolest alternative to wood. This stuff looks like wood but feels like heaven. Manufactured from old plastic bottles makes it durable and resilient.

Many manufacturers use a dense mixture of reclaimed plastic and wood fibers. One of the big companies in the industry, Trex, estimates that it prevents over 300,000 tons of plastic each year from ending up in the landfill. Billions of plastic bags from grocery stores are transformed into decking material instead of littering our streets and parks. Some companies, like Trex, take sustainability to the next level by operating their facilities with renewable energy and fueling their trucking fleets with biodiesel. Recycled Composite Decking is made of all sorts scrap wood and plastic, from sawdust to polyethylene (styrofoam) to milk cartons. In addition to decking, municipalities and businesses have discovered the benefits of using recycled composite material for park benches and picnic tables. Composites have certainly made their mark on college campuses across the country, as schools are embarking on reducing their environmental footprints.

This material has a long life span, and won’t warp, rot, or crack. The days of restaining, refinishing, and seasounal repairs are gone. If you want a deck that is resistent to the elements yet promotes the integrity of the planet, then recycled composite is probably right for you.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Recycled Composite Decking.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Hemp Building Materials?

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:12:25 +0000

Hemp is the all-purpose material long-championed by Thomas Jefferson and 1960s American counterculture alike. Food, textiles, paper, and fuel—there is a growing trend to cultivate this miracle crop and turn it into more eco-friendly versions of common products. Why is it so sustainable? Hemp can be grown rapidly and easily, like bamboo, without any herbicides or intensive labor. It regenerates, it regrows.

So how on earth can we utilize the plant for home construction? A handful of companies are now specializing in building walls, floors, and other structural components of houses out of chopped up hemp (it looks like mulch) combined with lime. Like the soybean insulation, the mixture of hemp and lime is sprayed on to a plywood base. It is easy and incredibly durable. A thick earthen wall made of hemp is also great for heat insulation.

Europe is ahead of the hemp game, with a growing industry in this type of eco-building, especially in Ireland and the UK. There is reason to believe that the U.S. will be catching on very soon. Perhaps some U.S. representatives will be attending the 1st International Hemp Building Symposium in September, taking place in Kenmare, Ireland.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Hemp Building Materials?.

Additional posts you may be interested in:

Recycled Styrofoam Molding

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:02:43 +0000

Pearly white molding neatly lining the ceiling and floors—a classic interior decorating touch that we all know and love. Most homeowners choose different types of wood, painted white, for their molding in their new homes—and why wouldn’t they? That has been the only option . . . until now, that is. We now have a new product that looks identical to wood, but has recycles wasted materials—Introducing recycled styrofoam molding.

Post-consumer cups and packaging materials are now being transformed into elegant pieces of molding. The process involves melting down the slew of white fluffy stuff into a near-liquid that settles in molds as long, solid pieces. According to some estimates, polystyrene (the technical name for Styrofoam) waste products make up nearly a quarter of the trash in landfills. Now all of the styrofoam that comes with a new computer that aren’t traditionally recycled can actually be broken down into smaller parts and recast as totally new products.

The best part about a wood-alternative like styrofoam? The light weight molding requires no fancy equipment like hammers and nails or saws and sandpaper. All you need is some caulk, and the molding should stay adhered to your ceiling or wall for upwards of 30 years. What’s more, the product is typically less expensive than wood. Don’t you love it when the small changes you make to green your home are good for the environment, and your wallet.

For more information about the recycling process, check out PlanetGreen’s interview video with Todd Sutton.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Recycled Styrofoam Molding.