Green Roofs Could Make London a Cooler Place

More and more people are living in cities, with new cities springing up and existing cities becoming home to larger and larger populations. We’re also going through a period of rapid climate change, and the effects of this are felt particularly keenly in densely populated areas like London. In cities like London roofing repairs need to develop sustainable and greener ways to grow like the green roofing, and to make use of the space that they already have, rather than encroaching on the Green Belt.

An important element of urban design, if London is to overcome the coming challenges, is “living buildings” – green roofs, roof terraces and green walls. These adaptations have several benefits, including the increase in living and recreational space, the reduction of energy usage, flood risk and carbon dioxide emissions, and of course a better-looking city.

Modern construction lets us build durable roof replacement systems, including allotments, formal gardens and even rooftop farms.  However London has very few green roofs compared to many European and American cities. Current planning regulations are a barrier to the construction of these roofs, and this is something we have to address. One way to change this is to explain the benefits of green roofs to a wider audience. If you are needing a new roof hire Roof Top Services, to help you.

A big benefit from having green roofs and walls, as Tulsa roofing puts it in their recent posts, is a more consistent temperature in the building, which in turn means less energy used on heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. If a roof or a wall is covered by plants, daily temperature fluctuations reduce from as much as 50C difference to just 25C. This is down to shading from the plants and to the fact that the soil and plants create a barrier of still air that reduces heat loss from convection.

The old advice is that climbing plants damage walls, but modern-day cladding panels are actually aided by climbing plants. They shield the panels from the worst of the sunlight and can act as a barrier against rainwater.

It is generally accepted by the European roofing industry and expects, like Roofing Company Huntingtown Md, that the protection provided by a green roof extends the life of the roof’s waterproofing. The following asset lives were adopted for this study.

In Europe, roofers accept that greening a green roofs extends the life of the waterproof membrane and the cladding. It’s been found that a bare aluminium roof will last for 25 years, but with a later of soil and plants on it, it will give up to 60 years of service, so doing this commercial roofs will not only help you to save money but will help the planet.

According to Roofing Houston Tx, a green roof really is a living roof, as it reacts to sudden changes in the environment to keep its building more “comfortable”. On hot days, the water in the soil and the plants evaporates, preventing a build-up of heat. The plants use incoming solar radiation for photosynthesis, preventing it from reaching the roof, and in winter the thermal mass of the roof stores heat and slows down its loss from the building.

When you add in the social and psychological benefits of more green and communal spaces, you realize that London, with its several million hectares of roof-space, should be leading the way in the living building revolution.

Quality Exteriors Roofing Services inspired this article and is committed to the installation of green roofing.