Green Roofing

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Why choose Paradise?

With over 45,000 square feet (that's over an acre!) of Green Roofs installed on fourteen sites, Paradise Cityscapes is Vancouver Island's leading Green Roof installer. We are the first landscape contractor in Western Canada to specialize in the installation of Green Roof systems. Paradise has the knowledge, expertise, and hands-on experience to help you realize your project, whether you want a pre-grown system or a loose-laid roof. When installing pre-grown systems, we work closely with the manufacturers to ensure proper installation, according to specifications. We have trained on and are qualified to install a number of pre-grown systems, and are always interested in working with new systems.

One of our loose-laid installations, the Burnside-Gorge Community Centre, won the "Extensive Green Roof - Institutional" category at the 2009 North American Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference. Check it out!

What are Green Roofs?    Why Green Roofs?    How are they built?    Our Green Roof Services    FAQs


What are green roofs?

Green roofs are living, vegetated systems on rooftops. Contemporary systems integrate commercial-grade waterproofing and lightweight components. They comply with building codes, and are viable for most structures. Paradise has a wide range of experience with green roofs around the island--from a large community centre to condo and mixed-use buildings to a doghouse! Each one is built to commercial standards. Please visit our portfolio to view them.

What are Green Roofs?    Why Green Roofs?    How are they built?    Our Green Roof Services    FAQs


Why would anyone encourage plants on roofs?

Urban development encroaches on aerable farmland and wilderness areas - green spaces which have an important value as life support systems for all species, including humans. There are many new technologies and practices emerging to mitigate our impacts on the earth, such as harnessing alternative energy sources, making more efficient use of natural resources, and farming organically. Building green roofs is one part of the shift to make our cities more sustainable.

Green roofs benefit the urban ecology by: The advantages of green roofs are not only quantifiable, they are also readily understood on an intuitive level. Consider the portion of urban space represented by rooftops. These spaces are unused by humans. Conventional roofs are sterile surfaces that repel every drop of rainfall, absorb heat, and do not provide wildlife with habitat.

Replacing these surfaces with naturalized meadows allows us to mimic and reclaim some of the absorptive and productive qualities of natural landscapes. Green roofs are a direct and immediate way to reduce your footprint on the planet, and they can even save you money in the long run. Please contact Adam at adam@paradisecityscapes.com for more info.

The benefits of green roofs also extend to our economy and society - below are a few examples:
What are Green Roofs?    Why Green Roofs?    How are they built?    Our Green Roof Services    FAQs


 How are they built and what are they made of?

We install extensive green roofs: systems designed to be lightweight, low-maintenance, long-lasting, and attractive. First, a commercial grade waterproof membrane is installed onto the roof deck. Next, a drainage course is laid down to regulate the amount of water retained on the roof, so as to provide enough water for plants to survive dry periods while ensuring that excess water can run off the roof. A correctly-blended growing medium is vital to the success of the green roof. Unlike the organic-heavy topsoil used in landscaping at grade, this medium is engineered to suit a rooftop environment and does not become as heavy when saturated with water. The depth will vary depending on the project, but 3-4” is often sufficient. Finally, the plants are installed. Drought-tolerant, hardy ground-covering species are used to produce plant communities that mimic local natural ecosystems like coastal meadows. Common green roof plants are usually native, and include succulents, herbaceous perennials, wild grasses and flowers, and mosses.


Paradise Cityscapes Green Roofing Services

On small projects not over living space, we provide a complete green roofing service including carpentry for structural upgrades and roof deck modifications, membrane installation, and professional trim and metal work. For larger projects above living space we are hands-on from the membrane up, which means we specify and install the drainage, growing medium, and plant layers of the green roof system. We work with professional roofing contractors on such projects so that manufacturers’ warranties are extended to clients. The large green roof on the Burnside Gorge Community Centre is one of our installations, and we encourage anyone interested to go take a stroll around the pubicly-accessible roof walkway, and experience a green roof in person! Here is a map to get there.

We cooperate with other professionals in our region (specialist nurseries, landscape architects, architects, researchers and educators) on test plots, on demonstration sites, and on the phone comparing notes! In this small friendly world that is BC's burgeoning green roof industry, we are helping to develop local expertise. Much thanks to all those who have helped us so far:

  • Patrick Carey and his team at hadj Design, a green roof design-build firm in Seattle, WA. We couldn't have asked for better mentors!
  • Randall Sharp of Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architects and Verdir Systems in Vancouver. Randall's work with growing media and plant selection and layout is making green roofs function and look better than most people could imagine!
  • N.A.T.S. Nursery in Langley - specialist wholesale growers providing great green roofing plants and working to expand the list of beautiful species for westcoast rooftops.




    • What are Green Roofs?    Why Green Roofs?    How are they built?    Our Green Roof Services    FAQs


    Frequently Asked Green Roof Questions

    Initially, most people find the green roof concept problematic from liability and insurance perspectives, so here are some quick facts to address the most common concerns.

    Won't it be heavy?
    Extensive systems with a 3"-4" depth weigh approximately 20 pounds per square foot when the growth medium is fully saturated with water and the plants have reached maturity. This includes all green roof materials including a plywood roof deck. This weight imposition is comparable to that of clay roof tiles, and can easily be accommodated for in new construction.

    What about moisture?
    Although it may seem counter-intuitive to design a roof system which retains water, the issue of moisture penetration is eliminated by the use of commercial-grade single-ply membranes - either TPO or EPDM. These synthetic rubbers could be used as pond liners. These materials are installed with welded seams, are guaranteed to shed water, and their chemical composition makes them impenetrable to the fibrous roots of green roof plants.

    Aren't green roofs a fire hazard?
    Although there may be dry plant material on a green roof during the drought season, don't forget about the 3-4" of inert growth medium, of which over 70% is mineral content. Also, the primary plant species on green roofs are succulents. These plants reserve water in their stems and leaves, making them drought-tolerant and very difficult to burn! Dry grasses may burn off quickly, but the rest of the green roof system acts as a fire retardant.

    What about Pests?
    A green roof is designed to recreate a native ecosystem. Indigenous plants will form a dense cover which will become colonized with worms, spiders, beetles, and smaller insects, and which will be frequented by birds, bees, and butterflies etc. All of these creatures are separated from the structure by the commercial-grade waterproofing membrane, and by the proper finishing of the green roof's eve and rake edges with metal coping and fascia board. Although more critters will be certainly in the vicinity, in all of our research we have yet to come across evidence that the odds of an invasion from pest species are increased by the installation of a green roof.

    What kind of maintenance is required?
    As in typical ground-level landscaping installations, attention is required during establishment of a green roof to ensure the plants succeed. The plants are selected for their hardiness and drought-tolerance, and a green roof is a naturalized, low-maintenance and water-wise garden. The ideal time to plant is early fall, and watering may be necessary during the first drought season. Some weeding may also be required until the plants establish a ground cover. After the first year, light hand-weeding once or twice a year should suffice. Drainage points should be inspected regularly to ensure there are no blocks. After two years, replenishing nutrient content with a slow-release feed will enhance plant growth.


    What are Green Roofs?    Why Green Roofs?    How are they built?    Our Green Roof Services    FAQs

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