Green roofs are said to have originated as far back as the Babylon Gardens, where specialist irrigation systems were used to keep the vegetation lush. Other notable historical uses of green roofs are in Scandinavia, where traditional sod or turf roofs were used for insulation and camouflage. The modern day green roof originated in Germany in the 1970s. Serious storm water runoff needed a solution and the modern green roof was born. Now with advances in technology green roofs offer more benefits than ever before and prove to be a great alternative to standard roofing.

The cost of a green roof depends on many factors such as the type of system, size and location. See Insights  “How much does a green roof cost per m2?” for a more in depth answer to this question.

Yes. Green roofs can be designed to fit around solar panels or the panels can fit on top of the roof. This can not only increase the efficiency of the solar panels, but the shade created by the solar panels can increase biodiversity of the underlying green roof. Special care must be taken when selecting plants to be installed in the shaded areas to ensure they grow well in low light conditions.

BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method and essentially sets the standard for the best practice in design for large scale developments. It is used to assess the environmental performance of buildings and communities. The addition of a green roof can increase the building’s BREEAM rating by making the building more environmentally friendly. You can learn more about BREEAM and green roofs on our Downloads page.

Yes. Green Roofs are 'Low-Maintenance' not 'No-Maintenance'. Green roof maintenance is generally a very simple process. They are designed so that they will not require endless hours spent on the roof in order to keep them looking at their best. Each type of green roof brings many different benefits to the occupants, the owners and the roof itself, so a little time maintaining the system is advantageous in the long run.

The amount of maintenance needed depends of the type of green roof installed. Sedum roofs require little maintenance; clearing gutters periodically and occasional weeding to clear unwanted self-seeding species are recommended. Biodiverse roofs are designed to be left and to be as natural as possible so maintenance is again minimal with just periodic gutter clearing of organic matter. Wildflower roofs require more maintenance and may need strimming once a year in autumn. We recommend irrigation systems on all steeply sloped systems to ensure they remain at their optimum throughout hot spells of weather. Sky Garden offers a full maintenance package which includes two site visits a year where gutters will be cleared, fertiliser applied, any weeds removed, strimming of vegetation is undertaken and vegetation barriers and fire breaks are cleared of any unwanted vegetation.

Sedum is used because it is drought resistant and very hardy. Under normal circumstances the roof should not need regular watering. However, live material must be irrigated immediately following installation. This irrigation must continue in the first few months following installation and again in especially hot and dry periods. Sky Garden recommends full saturation of the system once a week in these periods.

The components of a green roof system can be delivered in m³ sacks, which is the best option for larger builds with crane access. However, on smaller installations with less access 25kg bags can be used and distributed by hand if the transporter cannot get close to the roof.

Drainage board is a specifically designed layer that absorbs enough water for the plants to grow naturally but allows excess water to run off. This means the substrate does not get waterlogged but the board holds water to be accessed when precipitation levels are lower. It also contributes to reducing runoff as it holds and stores water when rainfall is high for the plants to use when needed.

Most green roofs can be installed with no planning permission, however some do require it. This depends on the location, type of building, height etc and should be consulted before installation. Green roofs are increasingly mandatory for new developments. Planning consent can stipulate that the area must blend into the surrounding landscape or mimic the water runoff of nearby Greenfield sites. Green roofs can allow constructors to overcome these terms.

Sky Garden’s drainage board and soil retention systems have been specifically designed to be used on steeply sloping roofs. We can offer green roofs on any pitch from flat to vertical and can install green walls.