Green Roof Craze Strikes America
Thu, Nov 20, 2008
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Image: Green Roof Blocks
Europeans have known and enjoyed the benefits of living roofs, or green roofs, for many years. Only now, as the push to ‘go green’ has increased, are Americans finding the same cost and earth saving advantages. Living roofs not only increase energy efficiency, by reducing the amount of heat or cold radiated into a home or building, they also collect storm water runoff. The plus side of which is a reduction in ‘Urban Heat Island,’ a phenomenon in large cities where the heat of the buildings raises the overall city temperature by as much as 10 degrees.
Image: Green Roof Blocks
Green Roof Blocks, available exclusively through Saint Louis Metalworks Company in Florissant, Missouri, has a ground breaking new product. These ‘blocks’ allow builders, home and business owners the ability to enjoy a green roof without the massive soil amounts used in other green roof applications, which add unnecessary weight and cost to such a project. They have a designed weight, similar to the ballast weight recommended by single ply roofing manufacturers, and starting at $15 per square foot, are also affordable.
Image: Green Roof Eco Cap
No matter your plant choice, evergreens, flowers, whatever your fancy, a living roof will bring years of energy efficiency, with minimal upkeep, and help reduce your personal carbon footprint. Mother Nature will thank you, so will your wallet.
Image: Green Roof Blocks
For more information, visit The Green Roof Blog.
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2 Trackbacks For This Post
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Creative Ways to Give Back on Thanksgiving and More « Gaiam Experts Blog Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 11:15 pm[...] Green Roof Craze Strikes America [...]
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Lunch Break Eco Link of the Week | Modern Eco Homes Says:
November 28th, 2008 at 8:24 pm[...] Europeans have known and enjoyed the benefits of living roofs, or green roofs, for many years. Only now, as the push to ‘go green’ has increased, are Americans finding the same cost and earth saving advantages. Environmental Grafitti has a great article on the green roof craze in America. Head on over HERE. [...]
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I guess our old school was ahead of it’s time - it had a ‘green roof’ waaaay before people worried too much about ozones, sea-levels and whatnot…although I think the mass of moss up on those old portacabins was more due to an apathetic janitor than any concious effort to help the environment!
Our biggest local store is going to be doing the same thing. It’ll sure look interesting on google-earth! ;0)
November 24th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Hi Dave,
I would love to have a green roof. My husband and I are planning a retirement home on the river, and we are planning to build a ‘green hoouse’ so I will have one then! Your school was ahead of it’s time huh?
January 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Right down the road from my house in Pennsylvania, is a building with a green roof. First time I saw it, I was confused. But eventually I started to realize the benefits that came with it, especially the rain runoff. It rains quite a bit here in the summer months, and sometimes we have more ice in the winter then snow causing more runoff. It definitely adds to the beauty of the building, and it’s carbon footprint. I am glad that more places in the United States are finally starting to realize that we need to utilize the resources we have rather then creating more technical ones, that are usually not so environment friendly.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Blogs like this are why I use the internet.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Great article! I live in DC and found out that DC is only behind Chicago for green roofs in the U.S.. Just recently, Toronto passed a law that requires new construction (not residential) have green roofs. I read an article about it at http://cleanerairforcities.blogspot.com/2009/06/toronto-mandates-green-roofs.html.
While I hope to see more green roofs in the US, I hope it doesn’t happen by force of law.