The main task of the roofing covering is protection from cold winds, blizzards, heavy rains, snowfalls and others. natural phenomena. A significant disadvantage of the area for construction is the polluted ecology in the vicinity of the city, low-quality crop products, which force the roof to be loaded with auxiliary functions and the introduction of creative architectural projects.
IN modern housing construction The most popular trend is the creative green roof. You can place both a green lawn and a natural vegetable garden on it, and grow tasty and healthy fruits and vegetables. This article will help you properly arrange a vegetable roof with your own hands.
Historical information
Grass and vegetable gardens located on roofs are a completely old invention. The most representative project for the use of green roofs is considered to be turf houses in Iceland dating back to the 18th century.
Moss placed on the roof of a house is typical of people living in modern Britain, Switzerland and Norway. Peoples living in harsh climatic conditions noticed that a roof with vegetation can protect against low temperatures, as well as preserve it inside the house, while creating a favorable microclimate.
For the first time in Europe in 1867, namely in Paris, a photo of a house with a green roof was published, it caused delight local residents, who argued that such an application of aesthetic beauty is the future in the creation of new structures.
Modern green roofs are used for planting lawns or planting small vegetable gardens, which is a fashionable trend that makes it possible to take care not only of the environment, but also of one’s own health, as well as to properly organize living space.
Advantages of a vegetable roof
At the resident's big city It’s not always possible to relax in nature or just breathe clean air in the forest. The most common reason for this is lack of time. Multi-storey buildings, gloomy streets and hard asphalt underfoot oppress you every day.
In this regard, residents strive to realize their desires in communication with nature by building a house from environmentally friendly material.
The main advantages of a house with a green roof include:
Reliability. Growing green element roofs will last more than 25 years, since the soil and plants are the most in the best possible way will save it from negative influences environment, as well as in bad weather conditions and mechanical damage. Regular maintenance of such a roof will increase the service life of the roof by 20 years.
Stagnation of water drainage. This important feature for places where there are heavy torrential downpours, since wastewater systems cannot cope with the huge volume of water.
A garden or lawn placed on the roof of a house can absorb more than 25% atmospheric precipitation. This effective way in the fight against flooding, water is used to irrigate crops and at the same time reduces pollution of nearby rivers and reservoirs.
High degree of sound insulation. After installing a palisade on the roof, you will certainly notice that the noise effect in the room has significantly decreased. This is very important for people whose homes are located in extremely noisy areas.
Auxiliary area. The space used with a green roof provides special, additional footage for panoramic project. You will get an excellent place for relaxation if you sow a lawn or arrange a swimming pool.
Improving the situation from an environmental point of view. This condition is important for modern large cities, since it can be difficult to find a place for a park, because there is concrete and asphalt everywhere.
Plants placed on the roof can perfectly purify the air. They are capable of retaining more than 20% of dust, harmful additives and impurities contained in the atmosphere.
Artistry. Houses with a green roof have an unusual and original appearance that simply cannot leave a passerby indifferent. In the USA there is a special company for roof floriculture. She installs ecological roofs for free on various buildings. In Russia, this focus has not yet been applied.
Creating an eco roof
Built like a layer cake, it contains several necessary layers. They are required to ensure the stability of the structure in certain areas: reliability of the roof, protection from water ingress, elimination of heat loss in the room. So, let's look at them in more detail.
The first layer is put prof. flooring. The material in this case can be wood or concrete; it is important that the base has large stock strength.
The next layer is insulation. It protects against the penetration of rainwater and moisture. It also prevents plant root germination. Next, drainage is designed to distribute moisture entering the soil. The filtration layer is also important; it is laid on top of the drainage to limit the penetration of small particles.
The simplest and safe way To complete the green roof structure, use rolled turf as the last layer. In this case, the slopes of the slopes are normal, grass can be planted on a layer of soil. Before sowing, the soil must be compacted and loosened.
Selection of plants for the roof
You need to choose simple and frost-resistant plants that thrive in confined spaces. Landscape designers advise following a few simple rules:
You need to choose plants with a small, horizontal root structure. Moss and grasses fit the current criteria perfectly.
The plant must be frost-resistant and can withstand minus temperature, V winter period. You need to choose plants that do not need to be watered constantly and can wait until it rains.
It is necessary to understand that some plants are not suitable for our climatic region; they require especially careful maintenance. They can be planted if you agree with the big financial costs, since plants need to be provided with a suitable habitat.
Thus, it will not take much time to green the roof. This trend will allow you to radically change the appearance of the building and effectively use usable area.
Green roof photo
Judging by the rate at which the number of cars on city roads is increasing, how courtyards are gradually turning into parking lots, and the land and lawns are hidden under asphalt, nature lovers will have to move outside the city, closer to forests and plantings. Or grow gardens in your home: on walls, balconies and roofs. And what? Architects, by the way, have long taken up this issue and have already built a sufficient number of “green” buildings.
Government building in Japan
The author of the project is the architect Emilio Ambasz. It is thanks to his imagination that the roof of the government building in Fukuoko, consisting of 15 terraces and occupying 100,000 square feet, is covered with a kind of park of 35 thousand plants of 76 species.
Swiss dugout houses
The complex of nine semi-underground houses, built back in 1993 by a Swiss architect named Peter Vetsch, is a very interesting sight. It is, as in the famous song, “all covered with greenery, absolutely all,” which is why the houses resemble something between hobbit holes and military dugouts.
Spanish garden house with lawn walls
As it turned out, it was not enough for the Spanish architect Patrick Blanc to decorate the roof of the designed building with a garden. This is how a real garden house grew up in Madrid, with bushes and flowers growing not only on the roof, but also on the walls. Now city dwellers don’t have to travel far to get in touch with nature!
Museum Historial de la Vendée in France
French designers and architects, however, are also no strangers. Thus, in 2006, the Historial de la Vendée museum opened in France, on the roof of which there were about two acres of various herbs and bushes.
The Solaire. New York oasis house
The Solaire is one of the first green residential buildings in North America. Back in 2003, it was built by two enthusiasts, architect Rafael Pelli and landscape designer Diana Balmori. Interestingly, this high-rise is located in the very center of the business district in New York, and among all the everyday bustle, cars scurrying back and forth and people talking on the phone, such a green roof looks like a real oasis in the concrete and asphalt desert.
GENO Haus in Germany
The Germans will not be surprised by green oasis roofs. According to experts, it became known that about 10% of all roofs in Germany are green. And GENO Haus in Stuttgart became one of the first houses with vegetable roofs, since the government initiated its construction back in 1969, and even allocated money for this unusual project.
Exhibition hall in Bonn
And another example of German architecture with a green roof. It became the Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn.
Chicago City Hall building
The City Hall of Chicago, it turns out, is also not averse to having a green park on the roof of its building. And if you climb onto the roof of Chicago City Hall, you can not only wander barefoot through the thick grass, but also play a couple of rounds of golf and soak up the sun. And for sure the city government from time to time uses this nice, cozy park for small picnics and corporate events.
Academy of Sciences in California
When going to San Francisco, you should not forget to take a walk not only in the famous Golden Gates Park, but also climb onto the roof of the California Academy of Sciences. There, enthusiastic nature lovers planted 2.5 acres of flowers and all kinds of bushes. Another interesting attraction of the wonderful city of San Francisco.
Green roof in Beijing
With such a dense population as in China, it is high time for people to develop rooftops, turning them into social and cultural facilities and city parks. It looks like that's what they did with the roof of this building... A park and nothing more!
School of Art and Design in Singapore
Probably one of the most beautiful green buildings is the five-story glass building of the School of Art and Design, built in Singapore. Firstly, the roof of the winding complex is covered with fresh green grass, which is carefully maintained service personnel, and secondly, probably not a single student here has problems with inspiration. You looked out the window and you saw not dusty, dirty asphalt, but a green clearing with lush grass. It must be a pleasure to study here!
IN lately technology for arranging vegetable roofs has become very popular. Green roof is a multi-level roofing “pie” on which you can grow unpretentious beautiful lawns or even set up a real garden. Today, green roofs are installed with your own hands not only on the roof of a private house in rural areas, but also on urban high-rise buildings.
Features of a green roof
Trees and grass growing on the roof are by no means a tribute modern fashion. Suffice it to recall the Gardens of Babylon, which glorified ancient Babylon. In the 18th century, Icelanders lived in turf houses that they carved out of the hills. At the same time, it was discovered that the vegetation living on the roof can protect against cold and wind in bad weather.
Green roofs are national tradition Norway, which has existed for several centuries. They are covered with birch bark, peat and overgrown with grass and moss. Green roofs have firmly established themselves on the roofs of Toronto, Zurich, San Francisco, London, and Madrid.
Plant eco-roofs are very popular, and there are several good reasons for this. Let's find out what's the matter:
- Durability. A green vegetative roof with gas will last longer regular roof. After all, soil and plants best protect it from negative factors. external environment, as well as from weather conditions. If you properly care for such a roof, the service life of the roof will exceed 20 years.
- Rainwater retention. This is especially true when there are heavy rainfalls, because the drainage system often cannot cope with a large number water. Lawns and other vegetation located on the roof are able to absorb part of the precipitation - about 27%. This is in an effective way designed to help prevent flooding. In addition, pollution of nearby rivers and reservoirs is reduced.
- High levels of sound insulation. By setting up a roof garden, you will notice that the background noise in the living area has been significantly reduced. And this is especially important for residents whose houses are located in areas where it is very noisy.
- Great thermal insulation. In a house under a plant roof it is warm in winter, and in summer heat- chilly. Therefore, heating and air conditioning costs are reduced.
- Extra space. The area of the exploited green roof provides additional usable space for landscape design. Here you can sow a lawn, lay out a garden, and arrange a swimming pool. This will give you a great place to relax.
- Improving the situation from an environmental perspective. This is especially true for large cities. After all, sometimes it’s difficult to find a place for a park among concrete and asphalt. Plants located on the roof can clean the air efficiently. They retain more than 25% of dust, harmful impurities and substances contained in the atmosphere. They also reduce the greenhouse effect and smog. For example, in Chicago in 2001, a lot of green roofs were built - about 1000 square meters. m.
- Aesthetics. A house under a green roof looks unusual and original. And I can’t tell you how much attention it attracts to itself! In America there is even a special corporation for green roofs. She is studying free installation eco-roofs for any home. In Russia, such trends are not yet common.
Types of green roofs
There are several types of vegetable roofs, depending on the technology of their arrangement. Let's look at them in more detail.
Extensive green roofs
This kind of roof gardening involves using light soil (the layer should be 5-15 cm thick) and unpretentious plants that do not require constant watering. As a rule, evergreens and hardy species, which form a continuous carpet on the roof, for example, sedums and other succulent specimens. The weight of the soil layer, as well as planted plants, per 1 sq. m. averages 20 kg. Therefore, there is no need to further strengthen the base.
That's enough simple technique protecting the roof and creating an autonomous ecosystem. Typically used to install a green roof on country gazebos, commercial buildings, garages and private houses. The creation of recreation areas is not expected. Therefore, such a solution can hardly be called a full-fledged garden.
Intensive green roofs
This option involves laying out a full-fledged garden on the roof and creating paths. It is possible to design an area where household members will have a picnic and install gazebos. Often, swimming pools and other bodies of water are located on such roofs. Most often they are formed on multi-storey buildings, shopping and entertainment centers. Green roofs have long been not uncommon for expensive hotels.
To plant trees and shrubs, a reliable foundation is built and a layer of soil is poured, which is up to 1.5 meters thick. The load of the entire system with soil and plants, which is on one square meter, in this case it reaches 700 kg. Intensive systems require regular watering. Other care is also needed - mowing and fertilizing.
Flat and pitched eco-roofs
Roofs with a lawn or garden are divided into flat and pitched. For many centuries, vegetable roofs were installed exclusively on flat surfaces. For example, this is what tarred roofs in the city look like today. However, you can also create a green cover on the sloping roof of a private house located in a village. For this purpose, special screens are used. They are intended for plants on the roof. Thus, both landscaping techniques are used on flat roofs. On a sloped one, it will be possible to arrange a lawn only according to extensive technology green roof.
Green vegetative roof design
Any green roof is a so-called “layer cake”. It consists of several mandatory layers. Let's take a closer look at them.
1. Base
The first layer of vegetable roofing is the supporting structures of the roof itself. For flat roof- This concrete slabs ceilings, for pitched - continuous lathing. If there is a roofing covering, for example, tiles, it must first be removed. In the case of flat plate It is recommended to create a slight roof slope. It should be directed towards the drain and be about 1.5-5 degrees. For this, a cement-sand screed is used.
2. Waterproofing layer
Before you make a green roof, worry about waterproofing. All plants, without exception, need moisture and regular watering. But such exposure is extremely harmful to the materials from which the roof is made. Therefore, waterproofing is used, which fences off the soil on which the plants grow from the roof itself.
Make sure that the waterproofing layer is as reliable as possible. Otherwise, if there is a leak, you will have a hard time getting it repaired. After all, removing all the layers located on top of the waterproofing is very expensive and time-consuming.
For this purpose they use plastic film or polymer membranes. Also great for this liquid rubber. Waterproofing can be placed directly on the roofing. Or they can pre-create a coating from marine plywood. If you use boards, there should be no gaps between them. Usually 2 layers of waterproofing are done. The lower one is mechanically attached to the base. The top one needs to be fused. The seams are securely soldered.
3. Thermal insulation
The thermal insulation layer is usually created from slabs made of cork. Polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam are also successfully used. The slabs are stacked closer together. If the top layers do not create enough pressure, connect them using special glue.
There is no need to attach the slabs to the base. On a pitched roof additional insulation not required because this layer already laid on the attic side between the rafters. If you decide to build a roof made of green moss, it will be useful to know that this plant has been used since ancient times to insulate the roofs of houses.
4. Root barrier
A root protection layer is necessary to prevent damage that can be caused by roots growing deep into the roof. The barrier for roots, as a rule, is an ordinary polymer film or foil. A film that has a metal coating is ideal. It is laid on a layer of waterproofing.
Many manufacturers produce waterproofing materials, which contain anti-root additives. If you want to plant ground cover species on the roof, then you don’t have to lay such a covering. This also applies to the procedure for creating a lawn; do ordinary waterproofing, that will be enough.
5. Drainage layer
Drainage material is capable of retaining a certain amount of water, which is necessary for the life of plants. In this case, water should move freely along the roof towards the drain. In the case of a sloping roof, the water drains off on its own if you provide special holes for this in its corners.
On a flat roof, care must be taken to ensure that water does not stagnate. To create bottom drainage, it is recommended to lay expanded clay, which has a large or medium fraction. Good results are demonstrated by crushed pumice, perlite coconut or polyamide.
You can buy special artificial mats. These include “geomat” made of plastic, which are mesh grids of great flexibility, similar to rough washcloths. In extreme cases, loosened clay and ordinary gravel are suitable. When arranging the drainage layer, take care to install perforated pipes to improve water flow.
6. Filtration layer
This layer is necessary to retain unnecessary precipitation. After all, they are capable of clogging drainage, coming from the soil with water. Good filter geotextile is used, which has a high density. In addition, the geotextile helps to avoid mixing the drainage layer with the soil, which occurs over time. It is laid with an overlap.
7. Lathing
If you are planning to green a low-slope roof, you should use a geogrid. After all, if the slopes are inclined more than 25 degrees, the soil will slide without fixation. The geogrid has the form of plastic cells. It's quite light.
When installing a green roof with your own hands on a roof that has a slight slope, it is enough to make special partitions from wood. They will not allow the soil to slide. To create an aesthetic effect, lay out a beautiful geometric pattern with latticework. Don’t forget to make borders around the perimeter to hold the “layer cake” together.
8. Fertile soil
At this stage, a layer of soil is created. This is where you will plant your plants. When choosing a soil mixture, the requirements of the plants being planted are taken into account. For ground cover species and grass, a layer 5-10 cm thick is required to create a lawn. The height of the soil for planting shrubs and trees should be up to 1 m. Soils for use on the roof should be light in weight, warm, moisture-absorbing and porous. It's good if they are resistant to compaction. The usual mixture from the garden is not suitable for this task.
You are recommended to use a light soil mixture, which consists of neutral peat with special components, such as fine expanded clay and perlite. Also add sand, clay and shale. If desired, crushed bark and wood chips. Don't forget about fertilizers. The top layer can be mixed with grass seeds, which is intended for growing lawns.
9. Plants on the roof
After laying all the layers for the green roof wooden house you can start planting plants.
- When choosing representatives of the flora, keep in mind that conditions will be created here that are close to desert ones. This is the sun and the wind. Therefore, choose the most unpretentious species.
- Among the trees, give preference dwarf species. They should have a small root system.
- A roof planted with frost-resistant grass looks advantageous, as well as ground cover plants using extensive gardening technology - sedum, sedum, young, creeping phlox.
- Choose moss, various meadow flowers, some bulbous flowers, and bells for planting on the roof. Also consider cloves, oregano and lavender.
Thus, greening roofs is a fashionable trend that allows you to radically change appearance buildings and add usable space to your garden. In addition, if you follow the technology correctly, you can protect your home from bad weather and excessive noise.
Have you noticed that our private buildings, in addition to architectural monotony, are also the same in color, something between a delicate “peach” and an unripe “olive”? However, this is neither good nor bad, as they say, felt-tip pens vary in taste and color. Another thing is whether the chosen one suits the house color scheme walls, basement and roof. Let's take a closer look at the relevance different groups flowers for a private home.
Resistant to fading
The choice of color palette for the design of the facade gives the appearance of the building aesthetic value and a certain semantic significance. Color can enlarge and reduce an object, bring it closer and further away, make it look upward or down-to-earth, bring together disparate parts or completely destroy its integrity.
Photo: www.usualhouse.com 
Photo: www.remontbp.com
The more saturated and brighter color, the faster it burns out. Black, for example, ranks first in terms of fading rate. On light and pastel colors the degree of burnout will be less noticeable. But pure white, despite all the elegance it gives to the facade, quickly turns yellow in the sun. A practical option is gray color, it will not turn yellow, the dust settling on the gray paint is invisible, the shade of gray will change over time, but only slightly.
Visuals and form
Light colors make the building visually larger in size. That's why main color classical architecture - white. Cream and light beige shades on their own can look faded, so it is better to add darker accents to them in exterior decoration.
Photo: kvartirakrasivo.com.ua Those who have visited the Scandinavian countries could not help but notice how great the rich, bright - red, yellow, orange - facades of their houses look. Upon closer examination, you can also see that the buildings themselves have simple architectural forms, without any small parts.
Photo: happymodern.ru For houses with complex architectural volumes and many different details, it is better to use calmer, lighter colors. Take advantage of the rich color palette you need to be careful - cheap facade paint fades quickly and in a couple of years a bright red house can turn faded pink.
It has been noticed that colors darken on a light background and lighten on a dark background. The lighter the tone, the more voluminous the object looks; the darker, the smaller. Warm colors- protruding, bring the object closer, cold - receding, remove. The most prominent color is open red, the most receding is open blue. Blue color below the source artificial lighting may change to green. The more colors differ from each other in their basic characteristics, the more difficult it is to harmonize them.
Photo: Archidom.ru Combinations
Not all color combinations look harmonious. For example, it is difficult to imagine a house with orange walls and a green roof. Today there are many techniques that describe the rules for combining colors. One of them, according to the method of psychologist Luscher from Sweden, will allow you to choose the most successful color combinations. The following table is compiled according to his recommendations.
2 - colors do not match, 3 - poor compatibility, 4 - average compatibility, 5 - good compatibility Designers and architects often use the color wheel according to Johannes Itten when developing the exterior appearance of a house.
The Itten circle is based on three colors: blue, red and yellow. The six remaining colors are formed by mixing colors of the first and second order: red-violet, red-orange, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-orange, yellow-green.
Itten Circle 
Photo: www.houzz.ru It is common for humans to use natural colors for their homes: brown, beige, green, yellow, light blue. As a rule, they go well together. For example, a house with a “sand” facade, with dark wooden (or painted brown) windows and doors look presentable and cozy. Natural combinations of shades convey subtle nuances of color relationships. Brightness in colors creates contrast - family relationships between colors. They are also called complementary (“complementary”). The love for complimentary flowers is strong in South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.).
When choosing a general color solution, it is important not to miss the opportunity to diversify the facade using architectural details: columns, arches, decorated trim for windows and doors, floral and geometric patterns, and so on. And color organizes and streamlines all this. Photo: www.houzz.ru 
Photo: dekorin.me Additional (complementary) colors are located in the Itten circle opposite each other and form a contrast. The most famous complementary pairs: yellow - purple; red - green; blue - orange. Such color variations can become more complex: blue-green - red-orange; yellow-orange - blue-violet. Such combinations are characterized by maximum brightness.
Photo: kett-battler.bloger.by For example, in a pair of blue and orange, blue enhances and emphasizes orange, and orange brings out the fullness and richness of blue. When working with more complex and approximate colors (natural), it is much easier to achieve harmony. Bright open contrasting colors are more difficult to combine, but this color combination looks extremely impressive. True, for European perception the contrast may be too bright and incomprehensible.
Photo: fasadoma.ru White color is considered universal and harmonizes with absolutely all colors. Gray is an excellent background for the bright elements of the building - soffits, windows, doors, gutters. Both white and gray colors facades go well with the red roof.
Photo: novate.ru 
Photo: MyHome.ru Pure red color for the facade is rarely used. Most often you can see a brick shade due to the use of clinker tiles in the cladding.
Photo: www.houzz.ru Blue facades look very interesting when combined with shades of gray, beige and white. The gray roof is like icing on the cake.
Photo: happymodern.ru 
Photo: thearchitect.pro The choice of bold ones is black, rusty, purple or dark blue facades. However, the architecture should also correspond to such colors - high-tech styles, cubism.
Classics of the genre
Photo: remonti-balashiha.ru Dark top, light bottom. The most common combination. With this option the walls light colors contrast in tone with the roof. The house will look even more attractive if it also has other contrasting details, such as windows or a basement.
Photo: www.vseodetyah.com Tone on tone. When both the roof and the facade practically form one whole, the house looks monolithic and harmonious. Many will say it's boring.
Photo: houses.saracentre.ru Light top, dark bottom. In this case, the walls dominate and attract attention. The roof seems to dissolve. In this scheme it is important that the roof is supported by the color of the gutters, windows and doors.
Material compatibility
The harmonious appearance of the house also lies in the compatibility of the materials of the walls and roof. For example, for wooden log house Natural roofing materials are ideal - shingles, reeds, natural tiles. Terracotta shades would also be appropriate - there are models that successfully imitate shingles. Compromise options are modular and composite metal tiles, seam roofing. But the combination of budget metal tiles and wooden walls cause toothache in aesthetes.
inDomishka.ru WITH brickwork Roofs made of natural tiles are best combined: dark brown, gray, green or burgundy. Metal tiles, bitumen and copper roofing will look quite harmonious. If the walls are finished with dark clinker, then a light gray seam roof will look good.
Plaster facades will suit a roof made of any material that is harmoniously combined in color and style.
Before you take on paint brush, it’s worth using at least special programs that allow you to “try on” a house template different colors roofs and walls.
Today, green turf roofing on houses has become popular again. It gives the structure an exotic appearance and perfectly retains heat in the cold season and keeps it cool in the summer. The soil is excellent natural thermal insulation material which balances temperature fluctuations and protects against the effects of negative factors. Such environmental material increases the service life of buildings. In addition, a turf roof reliably protects the home from external noise.
You can create such a system yourself by increasing the area of the site and successfully fitting this exterior element into any landscape.
In this article
History of appearance
The green roof is considered one of the oldest species roofing covering. This material was used to cover huts in middle lane and houses in Europe. Previously, all houses at the beginning of the Middle Ages had such an earthen roof. The flooring technology included the following steps:
- At first, the log house was covered with flooring made of hewn half-logs or poles,
- then the birch bark was laid in several layers;
- a turf pie had already been placed on it.
To prevent the ground from sliding down, a log or board was laid along the roof slope. On top was a cake of moss or turf with green grass.
Benefits of using turf as a roofing material
The passion for environmental building technologies has led to a return to the practical construction of turf roofing. Today, houses with a light green roof made of living grass have become incredibly popular. Using turf to cover a house not only allows you to get a green lawn on the roof, but also provides many technological and operational advantages. Green roofing is different:
- durability;
- moisture resistance, such roofs hold out rain well;
- perfectly protects homes from cold and heat;
- allows you to design the surrounding landscape in an original way;
- provides financial savings.
Vegetable roofs will last longer than conventional metal or slate roofs. Plants and soil reliably protect materials from moisture. At proper care, which does not require large financial investments, turf roofs will last at least 20 years. If your green roof home is being built in a region where the climate is characterized by frequent and heavy downpours, then green roofs will provide excellent protection from rainwater. Plants are able to collect up to 27% of precipitation. As a result, home owners are reliably protected from roof leaks and have a beautiful green lawn that grows without much effort on their part.
Preparatory work
Before starting work, you should choose a suitable siding style for the earthen roof for cladding the facade, you can choose vinyl siding under natural wood, against which a dark green roof pie will look great.
To avoid the problems that such a natural roofing material, you should study the technology and sequence of laying layers, which consist of:
- the top layer of soil on which plants grow;
- under the plants there is a substrate, a layer for filtration and drainage;
- The bottom layer is vapor barrier and waterproofing, for which modern materials are used.
Following the technology will allow you to make a high-quality roof pie with an amazing emerald color.
Installation of a living roof
First you need to create a reliable foundation consisting of load-bearing structures. For flat roof the base can be concrete slabs. For a pitched roof structure, the main element will be a continuous sheathing. Flat base should be sheathed at a slight slope so that excess water does not accumulate on the roof. If the installation of a green roof is carried out on an old covering, for example, tiles, then it will have to be removed.
Important! The slight slope of the flat roof should be directed towards the drain. Optimal parameters the slope is considered to be a limit of 1.5 to 5°. To create a slope, it is best to use a cement-sand mortar.
Arrangement of waterproofing
Houses with turf roofing must have good waterproofing. Protecting floors from excess moisture will help protect them from rotting. In the absence of rain green lawn the roof will require watering. The presence of protection will save you from excessive dampness.
To prevent this process you should use moisture protection:
- membrane polymers;
- liquid rubber;
- foamed polyurethane;
- vapor permeable polyethylene;
- Marine moisture resistant plywood.
If boards are used as waterproofing, they should be laid close to each other.
To ensure reliable protection against moisture, waterproofing should be laid in two layers. To improve the quality of waterproofing, you need to fuse a second layer onto the first layer. This will avoid cracks and gaps between layers.
Thermal insulation
The insulation of such a roof should be made of cork slabs or polyurethane, which is applied in foam form. You can also use extruded polystyrene foam. The slabs must be tightly laid to each other; if the top layer creates insignificant pressure, then thermal insulation can be glued; insulation must be done on a flat roof. The pitched structure does not require additional thermal insulation, since there is already insulation in the attic space between the rafters. When using moss for the front layer, thermal insulation is also not necessary.
Arrangement of the drainage layer
The drainage material must retain necessary for plants volume of liquid. The rest of the water will move along the roof towards the drain. For a flat roof, you will need to create conditions under which water will not stagnate and cause rotting of all layers.
For bottom drainage you can lay:
- expanded clay of medium or large fraction;
- crushed pumice;
- polyamide;
- perlite coconut;
- special artificial mats that look like meshes and are highly flexible.
If these materials are not available, then dry clay or fine gravel can be used. For best stock water from the roof, you need to install tubes with holes. Good drainage will prevent rotting of materials and plant roots.
After arranging the drainage layer and insulation, you can begin laying turf and planting plants on the roof.
Green roof: an effective and affordable way to improve a country house
From natural materials you can country house or make a green roof at your dacha with your own hands. Installing a green roof will not require large financial investments and will create spectacular design on suburban area, improving performance characteristics country house.
