A green roof or living roof is a
roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and
a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include
additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems.
Container gardens on roofs, where plants are maintained in pots, are not
generally considered to be true green roofs, although this is debated. Rooftop
ponds are another form of green roofs which are used to treat grey water.
Green roofs serve several
purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation,
creating a habitat for wildlife, increasing generosity and decreasing stress of
the people around the roof by providing a more aesthetically pleasing
landscape, and helping to lower urban air temperatures and mitigate the heat
island effect. There are two types of green roofs: intensive roofs, which are
thicker, with a minimum depth of 12.8 cm, and can support a wider variety of
plants but are heavier and require more maintenance, and extensive roofs, which
are shallow, ranging in depth from 2 cm to 12.7 cm, lighter than intensive
green roofs, and require minimal maintenance.
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