What is a green roof?
A green roof, or living roof incorporates plant medium to provide a roof covering that increases biodiversity, can absorb rainwater and can help combat urban heat island effects as well as providing thermal improvements. Green roof system build-ups vary, but fundamental is the provision of a high-quality, robust waterproofing membrane to maintain the building's watertightness.
Whatever the planting used, the risk to buried waterproofing membranes from roots and rhizomes is an important consideration. Triflex PMMA resin based systems are inherently root and rhizome resistant and have been FLL certified, giving confidence in durability whatever the planting medium. Green roofs can also be warm green roofs, with added insulation material included in the build-up.
What is a brown or biodiverse roof?
A brown roof is also known as a biodiverse roof. Here, the principle difference is the type of vegetation that is encouraged. Increasingly popular, the vegetation is left to self-seed through wind or bird lime seed dispersal. The growing medium is usually thinner in depth and maybe selected to encourage native species.
What is a blue roof?
Blue roofs are increasingly used on flat roofs. They are designed to retain water and slowly release storm water to the drainage systems or to irrigate green roofs. They can provide an alternative to provision of attenuation for rainwater at ground level, and are a form of sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) to alleviate urban flooding and storm water run off. Rainwater is released at a controlled rate, helping to manage water into the sewer network and drainage system. With an unpredictable climate, the incorporation of blue roof systems into new build or refurbishment projects can help mitigate the effects of climate change in urban dense areas.
They can be a simple solution under hard landscaping and pedestals and are used at podium level or as a rooftop system. They can be use in a warm roof or an inverted warm roof application.
Blue roofs are often blue / green roofs
Rooftop blue roof systems can incorporate a green or brown roof build-up too, and are increasingly used in dense urban areas.
Triflex durable waterproofing membranes for green, blue or brown roofs
In all instances the waterproofing membrane is critical to protecting the underlying structure from either the stormwater, or the soil medium and associated water, roots and rhizomes. Due to the technologically advanced nature of Triflex PMMA resin-based systems, they are hydrolysis resistant, meaning they will not break down in water.
