Tag: Green roofs Construction

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Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Retrofit sustainability

Building a green roof in South London

I spent a few days building a new roof in South London. We used gabion cages filled with a mixture of large stones and logs to create habitat.

I also used a time lapse camera for the first time to try and capture building the roof. I have divided it into 3 sections, first the set up, including adding some insulation. We used gabion cages from Devoran metals for the edges https://devoran-metals.co.uk/

Edges and protective fleece in place

After this we added a drainage layer of aerated clay pebbles, these also add to the insulation and help to reduce overheating.

Drainage layer is added

I struggled a bit with the speeds and lapse times for the videos but slowly getting better. The next step for the roof was to top up the gabion cages and add the soil, we were using Shire substrates who supply an excellent green roof mix.

Soil goes on

Finally planting and seeding. I worked with Rotherview nurseries to get an excellent selection of plants that are growing well at this time of year, including several sedums, campanula and Armeria. We also added lots of wildflower seeds that will start to show their heads in spring or before.

Planting

Overall, we were pretty pleased with the roof as was the client. Looking forward to seeing it develop over the next few years.

Categories
Construction Design Ecology Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs

New green roof in Dulwich

Alex standing in front of the finished roof, looking smug.

I put together another roof in Dulwich recently and thought I would share a few pictures and details.

This one started out with a visit to the clients to have a look at the roof. They had initially asked about a sedum roof and possibly even a cartridge system so I hadn’t been that keen. However when we met they were open to a more interesting type of green roof with a wider range of plants and a roof that develops over time.

We also looked at the skylights in the roof and decided that it would be better to build the roof with something more adaptable than the tray system. We settled on an expanded clay pebble drainage layer that flowed around the obstacles with some gravel borders and the usual Shire Green Roof Substrate for the plants.

    I got an excellent selection of plants from Rotherview Nursery near the south coast.

    They have a wide range of green roof plants and have been really quick to deliver, the plants including sedum reflexum gold, campanula pusilla, Erigeron, saxifraga scenic red, sedum schoebusser blut, sempervivums, thymus minimus, stops pony tails, armeria splendens, chaenorrhinum, erosion flore pleno, frankaenia thymifolia, and sedum pachyclados. I also added in a selection of alium and armeria bulbs, the client will be putting in crocus bulbs come the autumn. Finally we topped it off with a selection of wild flower seeds including Field Poppy, Red Campion, Black Meddick, Common Knapweed, Ox-eye daisy, Ribwort Plantain, Yarrow, Lady’s Bedstraw, Bulbous Buttercup, Cowslip, Salad Burnet Grasses: Browntop Bent, Strong Creeping Red Fescue, Crested Dogstail, Meadow Fescue, Sheeps Fescue. Hopefully most if not all of them will find a space that suits them on the roof. I expect all the plants to develop and grow over the next few years finding their place on the roof. Not all of them will find that and not all of them will thrive every year but we should get a great selection finding their place.

    Tania planting the roof
    bench made from pallets

    Finally I made a bench from the pallets left behind by the delivery of the substrates and soils.

    After we built the roof I was left with a couple of pallets and some wood I used to create straight lines on the gravel. After a bit of online research I found a design for this bench and we need some garden furniture so I spent last weekend putting this together. A bit cold to sit outside at the moment but I think it will come in useful later in the year.

    For more details and to get a quote for your roof send me a message.

    alex@ecoalex.com
    020 8133 0190

    Categories
    Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs

    Thriving green roof in Welwyn Garden City

    This green roof on an extension in Welwyn Garden City is nearly 10 years old and has been thriving. This was the first green roof I made so I was a little cautious about the loading, the middle are is sedum on a foam drainage mat with very little soil. The edges have more soil and substrate so they are able to support wildflowers, grasses and self seeded local plants. Nowadays I would add a lot more substrate but it is still going strong and the recent rain and sunshine combination has got it growing beautifully.

    The sedums are quite persistent and even managed to self seed and create a little patch of growth on the gravel driveway which looks great and offsets the potted plants.

    This one was retrofitted which encourages caution, you don’t want the roof to fall down but you can find a combination of plants and sedums that will work on almost any flat or gently sloping roof. Even better if you are building a new extension you can specify the roof to take any depth of soil you want for a really fabulous roof with the plants of your dreams. Drop me a line if you want to know more alex@ecoalex.com

    • Blanket of sedum punctuated with wildflowers and grasses
      Growing green roof
    • Close up of sedum roof
      Lightweight green roof
    • A green roof with sedum and wildflower and blue sky in the background
      Thriving green roof
    • A close up of a green roof with wildflowers on the left and sedum on the right.
      Too much sun
    • Self seeded sedum growing in gravel driveway
      Sedum spores spread to the driveway.
    • Side view of green roof on wooden extension
      Looking good
    • Largely sedum green roof
      Well established green roof
    • Close up of sedum and grasses on a green roof
      Really dense and growing well
    Categories
    Ecology Green roofs Projects Uncategorized Using less water

    Marlow roof update

    Some gorgeous pictures from the roof I built in Marlow last year including some priapic sedums!

    Categories
    Ecology Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Projects sustainability

    ‘Spectacular’ green roof in Dulwich

    Full extent of the roof

    I built this one last week on a garden office in Dulwich. I don’t do so many sedum roofs but this did come up looking really nice and is instantly green.

    The roof build up was using the Optigreen lightweight roof system. A protection fleece over the waterproofing, drainage layer, lightweight substrate and pregrown sedum on top. This was ideal for this garden office and really helped it blend in to the trees and plants at the bottom of the garden. The roof will drain into a gutter when complete (not that there will be a lot of runoff). I used aluminium edge trim all the way round to give it a nice defined edge.

    The substrate was incredibly dry when it arrived, I initially thought it was just sand! This made it really easy to get up on to the roof, the bags weighed even less than usual. Luckily it has had a good soaking with the rain since to get it nice and wet.

    Getting the sedum up on the roof was a little trickier, we left it out overnight and the client enthuisiastically watered it making it very heavy. After struggling with a couple of rolls I realised it was better to cut the mats in half to make them easier to handle.

    Once it was all up it looked really good. I spoke to the client again the week after to check on it and he said ‘It looks absolutely stunning. The wife and my nearest neighbours really like it – so a big thankyou. I have been diligently watering it and it is looking good. Many thanks‘ very pleased with the feedback.

    Categories
    Construction Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Uncategorized

    SYdenham hill green roof

    This is a small green roof on a modern house in Sydenham Hill. It uses white painted railway sleepers for a frame to match the fascia boards on the house and I think fits in very well.

    Categories
    Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Using less water

    Highgate green roof

    The flowers grew quite quickly as well

    A 2 section green roof installed in Highgate as part of an Eco retrofit being carried out at the property. We incorporated reclaimed york stone paving slabs to create a path which was lined with lemon thyme that should grow over it and release a fragrance when trodden on. Some of the existing planters were retained and we used lots of grasses and some saffron crocuses.

    Categories
    Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Projects

    Gabions and cyclamen, a new green roof in Herne Hill

    It’s taken a little while to share this new green roof I built in Herne Hill recently.

    There were a number of challenges here particularly the height of the roof with no edge protection, we used a harness to install the edges.

    The edges were built using gabion cages filled with cobbles. This created a more natural edge and ensured the stones didn’t roll off the edge of the roof and shatter the tiles below, I think they look pretty cool.

    I used aerated clay pebbles for the drainage layer again, really like these rather than the plastic sheets and carrying a bag makes you feel really strong as they are so lightweight. We then put in a protective membrane and covered with ultra lightweight green roof substrate from Shire Substrates.

    The roof has been seeded with a mixture of wildflowers and grasses with more to be added in the spring. In the meantime I put in some grasses, sedums and also Cyclamen. I wasn’t really sure about the cyclamen but not much else is flowering this time of year a month later and they seem to have settled in well.

    I will add further updates in the spring. There are lots of bulbs in there which should appear soon.

    Categories
    Construction Design Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Using less water

    Low impact green roof in Marlow

    Lots of green roofs going in recently and I need to spend more time documenting them. This one in Marlow on a garage was a new design that I am quite pleased with.

    I have been working for a while to reduce further the plastics going into a green roof. I used to work with SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) a lot in the past and one thing I always noticed was the number of pipe manufacturers trying to shoehorn more plastic into natural drainage systems. Roofs obviously need to be waterproof so I can’t change that bit and we need something to protect it from sharp objects etc. Then comes the drainage layer which is lots of plastic sheets, this is important to hold a bit of moisture but also to makes sure it drains effectively. So drainage is important for weight but maybe we can make it of something else. For this roof we used aerated clay balls wrapped in a filter sheet that is held in place with some extra large cobbles. So the plastic is at a minimum.

    • Starting out with a recycled protection mat for the roof
    • Drainage layer of aerated clay balls
    • Retention/protection fleece held in place with cobbles
    • Finished roof
    • Planting
    • Planting
    • Planting
    • Adding substrate
    • Adding substrate
    • Roof construction
      Lifting on to roof
    • All planted and logs for mini beasts

    The cobbles add a really nice touch to the edge of the roof and enhance the appearance considerably especially on a roof like this where there is no parapet. The soil is also held in place by the cobbles and I guess some of it may wash between them but not off the edge of the roof.

    The roof has been planted with about 15 different plants, some sedum and ornamental, seeded with 30 different wildflowers and also bulbs planted to come up later in the year. I am monitoring progress and plan to pick up some crocus bulbs in autumn to plant.

    Finished roof

    If you like the look of this, drop me a line or give me a call 020 8133 0190 and I can see what we can do for you.

    Categories
    Construction Design Ecology Ecoretrofit Encouraging wildlife and nature Green roofs Projects

    Extension in Kennington with green roof

    I went to visit an extension in Kennington which has the biggest domestic green roof I have built. There are some very big skylights so it isn’t all green but it looks great. This first picture shows the rear extension with some rather fine timber cladding, you can see the plants poking over the top of the coping stones:

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    The combination of rain and sunshine we have seen this summer has been really good for the plants, even if people haven’t been so happy. I missed the peak flowering of this roof but there were still plenty in bloom on Monday. The clients daughter has a bedroom window looking out onto the roof and has been enjoying the developing scene.

    [peg-image src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gjklVXE-k6I/V4zlsGy6-NI/AAAAAAAAXtw/JMqgXOzcgdMA8hSZ56Fpp9o7478SLZuDQCHM/s144-o/IMG_20160718_143829.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/106273352894365708957/6309743418905257873?authkey=AvRWaf1IHgo#6308669723940419794″ caption=”” type=”image” alt=”IMG_20160718_143829.jpg” image_size=”3264×2448″ peg_gal_align=”left” peg_img_align=”left” ]

    The skylights really bring light into the house and the kitchen looks even bigger than the space the extension added on. You can see some of the plants waving in the breeze around the sides when you are having dinner.

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