Unique Ways To Make Your Roof More Eco-Friendly

A growing number of people have become interested in ways that they can either build, extend or modify their homes in ways that can make them more environmentally friendly.

Most of the best ways to reduce the carbon footprint of a home are somewhat mundane; improve airtightness and insulation to use less energy during the winter and summer months with the help of builders in Wolverhampton, replace your boiler with an energy-efficient model, rewild your garden and use energy saving light bulbs.

However, there are also more elaborate solutions that allow a homeowner to build a natural harmonious paradise that feels at one with nature and can have some considerable added benefits as well.

One of the most notable of these is the green roof or living roof, where a layer of soil is laid onto the top of a roof and plants, flowers and grass grow on top of this. Exactly what you can grow depends on how deep this soil layer is, which itself depends on the structural rigidity of your existing roof.

It can be used to grow grass, flowers and in some cases even trees, although always check with a roof specialist before making dramatic alterations to your roof.

There are several key benefits from an environmental standpoint, with green roofs helping to create wildlife bridges that allow for more diverse habitats for plants and animals, improve air quality and help to reduce the release of carbon dioxide from buildings.

However, there are several practical benefits that make a green roof worth considering even for those without green fingers.

Because soil and plants absorb water, there is far less strain on your drainage system, leading to fewer issues during heavy rainfall.

As well as this, a green roof helps to avoid intense heat associated with the heat island effect and generally improves the insulation in a home allowing less heat in and less heat out.