GREEN Information 02 – Green Roof
A roof serves as a protection to a building and its occupants from the weather and other possible falling objects from the sky. To build a suitable “GREEN Roof”, factors such as roofing materials, building concepts and purpose of the property, have to be considered.
When it comes to roofing, people often think of flat or pitched roofs only, in fact there are many types of roofs and roofing materials.
Types of Roof Style
1. Mansard Roof: French style of roof which has slopes on sides of a house. Its design allows more spaces at the top of the house internally. Its lower slope appears steeper than the upper.
2. Gambrel Roof: Dutch style of rood which hangs over the house. It has vertical gable ends.
3. Saltbox Roof: A unique design whereby one side is longer than the other making it looks 1 storey on one side and 2 storeys on the other.
4. Pyramid Roof: Commonly used for small scale buildings like garage or pool house.
5. Hip Roof: Identical to pyramid roof just that it does to join together at a point. It usually has gentle slopes.
6. Bonnet Roof: It has double slopes on all 4 sides and its upper slope is steeper than the lower. It is able to provide shades for outdoor porch area due to its special design.
7. Flat Roof: This type of roof is easy to construct, but its maintenance is high as debris may gather on that flat surface.
8. Cross Gabled Roof: Mainly used for houses with extra wings, it allows effective water flow as well with its steep slopes.
9. Skillion Roof: Also know as Shed Roof, is commonly used for roofing over odd portion of a house or extension(s).
10. Arched Roof: It is usually used on small portion of a house to enhance design(s).
Roofing Type
When choosing roofing material, it is important to consider its durability rather than just designs as it is the front line protection against natural elements. Quality of the roof can also impact on the value of the house.
In the modern society, house owners get to choose from a wide range of roofs ranging from wood to concrete and clay tiles to Environmental-Friendly shingles (made from recycled materials like rubber and wood fiber). However, it can be tough when it comes to selecting the right roofing materials.
Green Roof
A GREEN Roof, sometimes referred to as “Living Roof” is having a mini-plantation on the top of the building. The mini-plantation and growing medium are usually planted on top of a waterproofing membrane.
*Additional layers like irrigation system(s), drainage and root barrier are sometimes included as well.
Green Roof
Building owners build GREEN Roofs to provide insulation, manage rainwater and mitigate Urban Heat Island Effect. Two common types of GREEN Roofs are Intensive GREEN Roofs and Extensive GREEN Roofs. Intensive GREEN Roofs are generally more expensive as it is thick and heavy which enable plantation of many plants. Extensive GREEN Roofs are lower in cost and lighter as compared to Intensive GREEN Roofs.
*The term “GREEN Roof” also refers to roofs with solar panels, cool roofs and Environmental-Friendly constructed roofs.
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