I’m told that these ecoroofs are all the rage amongst
those of us that are making a big effort to “go green”. I’m all for being
friendly to our environment but being able to count real sheep when I can’t sleep might be taking things a bit far for
my taste! The real advantage to an ecoroof is that unlike a standard roof where
the water needs to go somewhere this roof will absorb most of the water.
Theoretically this reduces the amount of water entering our public sewer system
mixed with the usual antifreeze, oil and other contaminants. This organic roof
will also filter out pollutants in the air and produce much cleaner water.
The actual construction of an ecoroof consists of soil on
the top of a spongy material such as carpet padding and then a waterproof liner
(such as a pond liner). This provides a natural home for wildlife and believe
it or not serves as an excellent insulator.
There are a few important things to consider if you are
seriously contemplating an ecoroof for your home or structure. An ecoroof is
very heavy so you need to be sure that your existing roof can handle the load
(not to mention the sheep). You’ll also want to select the right plants for
your flowery house cover. You wouldn’t want your neighbors to have Bermuda
grass while you were stuck with your average everyday run of the mill lawn as
your “house hat” would you? That could cause problems with your HOA.
Finally, as always there is the issue of cost. A
professionally installed ecoroof is more expensive than a traditional roof but
it will last about twice as long. That doesn’t include the cost of feed for
your new housemates but I figure “nothing ventured, nothing grained”, right?
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