Flat Green Roofs
IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF GREEN ROOFS
A green roof is a flat roof that is partially or fully covered with vegetation and earth. It is an innovative and environmentally friendly solution that brings a number of benefits for both the building owner and the environment.
Advantages of green roofs:
- Improve thermal properties
cool in summer and insulate in winter, reduce the energy intensity of buildings - Rainwater Retention
slows the outflow of rainwater into the sewer (prevents overflow of the sewer line) - Improving air quality
filters dust and harmful substances, produces oxygen - Increases biodiversity
creates space for plants and animals
ACCESSORIES FOR FLAT AND GREEN ROOFS
In addition to waterproofing and other basic elements of flat roofs, accessories play an important role, ensuring the functionality and aesthetics of flat and green roofs. Properly selected and installed roof drain, rocker rail and other accessories will ensure trouble-free rainwater drainage, roof protection and aesthetic appearance.
The gully
A roof drain is an important element of flat roofs that serves to drain rainwater from the roof into the sewer. A properly functioning drain prevents water from accumulating on the roof, which could lead to leakage into the interior of the building, damage to the roof structure and other problems. The drain must be installed at the lowest point of the roof to ensure optimal drainage of rainwater. According to the standard ČSN 73 1901, at least two gutters must be located on the roof area, respectively, it is important to take into account the capacity of the drains. This means that each type of drain has an effective drainage area in m2. If only one inlet per roof area is proposed in the project, it is necessary to supplement it with a safety overflow according to the manufacturer's recommendation.
An important fact in the use of drains is the revisions, which should be carried out at least twice a year (specified by the standard ČSN 73 1901). This is due to the need to clean individual drains from dirt in order to avoid clogging or damage (for example, ice damage can occur in winter). At the same time, regular inspections and maintenance of flat roofs extend the life of the roof. Early detection and correction of problems can prevent more serious and costly repairs over the life of a flat roof.
Also visit our product page roof gutters and extensionswhere you can find individual types and technical specifications.
Shafts for green roofs
In the context of green roofs, shafts play a key role in ensuring trouble-free drainage of rainwater from the vegetation, while facilitating maintenance of the entire system. While the inlet fulfills the primary function of collecting and draining water, the manhole complements it with other important aspects. The first aspect is the protection of the drain from damage and clogging due to the ingrowth of plant roots and the ingress of other organic materials. The second aspect is the easy access to check the drains in the extensible layer and their easy cleaning. The design of the shafts must be solved in such a way that rainwater enters the drain. This means that the shaft must not be wrapped with geotextile. On the contrary, it must be provided with a layer of duckweed, which passes water to the drain.
Shafts for green roofs are made of tough PA6 polyamide in dimensions 300 × 300 mm, 400 × 400 mm and 550 × 550 mm. The size is chosen especially according to the height of the green layer, when it is recommended to use the largest possible size for higher layers (over 500 mm). These shafts can be assembled to the required height of the green layer using TWZN attachments with heights of 50 mm and 100 mm of adequate dimensions. Due to the space for the maintenance of the drain itself, we recommend considering the maximum height of the shaft around 1,500 mm.
The cover of the protective shaft for green roofs is made of polypropylene and can be both solid (TWZ) and perforated (TWZF). When using a full lid, solar radiation does not enter the shaft, which can be an advantage for green roofs due to the avoidance of algae bloom in drainage systems. The bearing capacity of the shafts in both variants of lids (TWZ, TWZF) is 300 kg, this is the load class K3. Thus, these shafts are walkable but not mobile.
Another possible protection of roof drains in green roofs, and especially for roofs with a tiled layer, can be aluminum protection shafts without or with a perforated lid. We produce these in sizes 250 × 250 mm and 300 × 300 mm. The height of the shafts is either 100 mm or 200 mm. All variants of shafts are made of aluminum 1.5 mm thick with a perforation of 8 mm. Therefore, it is recommended to sprinkle them with a quaker with a fraction from 8 mm and more.
In the same way, it is possible to protect roof gargoyles and safety overhangs located in the green roof, respectively, in the roof with a duck layer. They are made of the same material — aluminum 1.5 mm thick. Possible heights are also 100 mm or 200 mm, and there is an option to also place a perforated lid to them. But the difference is the dimensions 150 mm × 250 mm and the fact that there is no solid wall on one side. This creates a hole that is placed at the mouth of the gargoyle or safety overflow and allows the free flow of water. Aluminum shafts are not mobile or walkable.
Check out our complete offer manhole for green roofs and choose the right solution for your project.
Kachír Mouldings
For green roofs, the duck strips ensure the separation of vegetation layers and duck strips, or they have the function of terminating the roof in a place where there is no atika. The basic types of rocker rails are aluminum, stainless steel or laminated with a wide range of heights. Corner or arched rocker moldings are also newly introduced.
The edge and edge strips are made of laminated sheet metal or aluminium with a thickness of 1.5 mm, the strips are 2,000 mm long. For flat roofs, it is possible to anchor the duck slats to the waterproofing layer with the help of waterproofing blanks. The coated gray-colored bars already have cutouts integrated into the bar. For aluminum skirting boards, holes are prepared at distances of 250 mm through which the waterproofing tapes will be stretched. The aluminum variant is more variable in that it is possible to place it on roofs with different types of waterproofing (mPVC, TPO/FPO, asphalt strips, EPDM, etc.) and, according to the roofing material, adequately prepare the waterproofing tapes. The rigidity of the bar is ensured by a 10mm bend at the ends of both arms. The product includes a connecting part for easy connection of an additional rail. Both versions of moldings are made of laminated sheet metal or aluminum with 8 mm perforations. Therefore, it is recommended to sprinkle them with a quaker with a fraction of 8 mm or more.
You can find more information about the individual variants of the rocker moldings in the section Other roof elements.
