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.

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. 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.

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.

According to a recent study, we can combat global warming just by painting our roofs white. The concept is simple. Rather than absorbing and transferring light energy into heat, white colored roofs increase the reflectivity of the roof’s surface keeping houses and urban environment cooler. According to the study, painting roofs white “reduces their solar [...]