Roof gardens are one advantage to having a flat roof.
A flat roof is a horizontal building cover engineered at a slight incline to allow water runoff. As opposed to a sloped roof, a flat roof has the benefit for building owners of presenting a usable space. When turned into a "green" roof -- as a roof garden or for ecological advantages -- proper roof coating is required to allow for the extra weight of garden water and water runoff. A number of types of flat roof coatings are safe for garden water. Does this Spark an idea?
Tar and Gravel
Roof gardens have many ecological advantages.
The traditional flat roof coating option is made from layers of tar and gravel. Given that a roof is built at a correct incline to ensure proper drainage, this type of roofing is safe for garden water. Tar and gravel roof coatings are a good fire retardant and are relatively cheap. However, tar and gravel roofing require professional installation. Installing the roof is never a do-it-yourself job. This type of roof coating can also be quite heavy, which adds risk when a roof is used for gardening and requires the extra weight that comes with the use of garden water.
EPDM
Roof gardens are energy-saving devices.
Despite their many advantages, flat roofs are less able to withstand harsh weather conditions than sloped roofs. Fortunately, materials for flat roofing have greatly improved in the last 20 years. An Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer (EPDM) rubber membrane coating is durable in all kinds of weather conditions. When installed properly EPDM roof coatings will not leak and are suitable for use with roof gardens and garden water. This type of flat roof coating is also relatively easy for the home handyman to install.
Copper and Tin
Copper is an expensive but reliable roofing material.
The deluxe option in flat roof covering is copper and tin. Although expensive and labor intensive to install, a soldered seamed tin or cooper roof will prove watertight for years. Copper or tin roofs are lightweight and durable, and therefore requires a minimum of upkeep. However, consultation with a roofing professional is necessary to judge the suitability of this type of roofing for use as a roof garden.
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