Quality roofing in Greenville SC and Charlotte: living roofs

Quality roofing: what is a living roof and what are the benefits?

Quality roofing using green roofing systems is a new trend that is being used on more and more buildings, including Charlotte NC and Greenville SC area to cover their roofs with plants. This is what is known as a living roof, many owners of buildings are now making the decision to have a living roof installed on both existing and new roofs.

Throughout the country, the benefits of a living roof are poorly understood, and the market continues to grow.

A living roof will not only provide a building owner with a proven return on your investment but can also give the owner an opportunity for significant economic, social, environmental benefits, especially in cities.

Benefits for owners

A living roof can save owners on heating and cooling costs. The cover of a leafy living roof can help to cool the air due to evaporation, by giving shade, and by creating a more lightly colored surface than the dark roof underneath. A building with a living roof during the summer can stay cooler than a building with heat-absorbing black tile, this will therefore use less energy for air conditioning.

Owners can also notice a reduction in noise, and the protection that is offered by a living roof can more than double the lifespan of your roof.

Benefits for the environment

We can all understand the benefits of plants and vegetation can provide for the environment. A living roof in an urban environment can add an extra punch because it can replace any greenery that is lost to a large number of buildings.

Through plant respiration, a living roof will reduce air pollution while also mitigating against any heat gain as the plants can absorb and retain the heat from the sun. More traditional materials used on roofs can re-emit the heat from the sun and cause the temperatures in the city to be higher than the rural areas surrounding the city.

A living roof can decrease surface runoff and keep water suppliers freer from pollutants while, at the same time, reducing the chances of flooding due to the plant’s ability to absorb rainwater and act as a filter. A living roof will act as a thermal insulator and will not require as much power to cool or heat the building.

What needs to be known about the building before installing a living roof

Before installing a living roof, the structural load capacity, the slope of the roof, and its existing materials, as well as the waterproofing, the nature of any drainage systems, and water and electrical supplies will need to be figured out. The access to the living roof, who will be in charge of the maintenance, and what kind of wind and sun exposure the roof experiences will also need to be determined.

Living roofs: quality roofing in Charlotte NC and Greenville SC

Quality roofing with a living roof can help to create an alternate habitat for butterflies, bees, birds, and insects in an urban area.

So, take a moment to appreciate the benefits that a living roof can provide the next time you see some grass growing from a rooftop.

Steele Restoration is a fully licensed and insured Charlotte NC and Greenville SC-based general contractor and roofing company specializing in roofing, siding, and storm damage restoration for single-family homes, multi-family complexes, and commercial and industrial sites. We service Charlotte and surrounding areas including Rock Hill, Lake Norman, Steele Creek, Matthews, Ballantyne, and Blakeney, along with Greenville and Spartanburg SC areas.

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