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'Living' roofs give a green benefit
Eco-green innovations are literally hitting the roof in Scarborough where there are at least two successful living plant roofs.
Instead of the traditional asphalt or tiles, the sedum roofs are made from succulent plants which provide a habitat for birds and insects, improve air quality, ensure slow water run-off and look better than the dark mass of conventional roofing.
At the Sure Start centre in Briercliffe, which provides support for young families, a third of the roof is sedum.
One of the major pluses of the green roof is that it slows the flow of rainwater which means the untreated water is collected and used to flush toilets, thereby saving the need to use mains water.
The sedum roof at Woodend Creative Workspace has been installed for around a year and is roughly the size of a tennis court on the new wing of the grade two listed building in The Crescent.
“The roof is a great insulator, keeping us warm in winter and cool in the summer. It looks verdant in the summer and it flowers, and I was told the only maintenance that might be necessary is watering with a hose pipe in a very dry period,” said Andrew Clay, director of Woodend.
Chris Walden, principal architect with Scarborough Council, said the sedum roofs were only a little more expensive than conventional structures but were very eco friendly and regenerative. Whereas the sun is a normal element causing wear and tear on conventional roofs, for sedum it is a life giver.
The roof comes as a pre-finished surface already laced with a gritty compost sown with the plants on a membrane that prevents water leaking into the building. It is usually installed as a flat roof but it can be used as a pitched roof if the angle is not too steep.
Among the many eco benefits, the living roofs are seen as an off-set compensation for the urban encroachment of building materials and as a way of cleaning the air of pollutants.
Other plants may be used as green roof material but succulents are the most popular, especially sedums, which in the garden are usually grown in rockeries or on dry walls.
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Weather for Scarborough
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
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