One particular feature that is commonly asked about by people looking for bespoke garden rooms to suit their needs is whether they could literally add a garden on top of it.
A living roof is where plants, grass and other vegetation are fitted to the roof of a building, which helps to add a greater harmony between a home’s buildings and its natural surroundings.
As they become more popular and people start to seriously consider them for their homes and exterior buildings, here are some facts you need to know.
They Can Triple The Lifespan Of Your Roof
Whilst typically desired for purely aesthetic reasons, the thick, natural material that living roofs are by definition made from can help to protect the underlying structure from extreme temperature changes, radiation and mechanical damage, as well as provide noise dampening.
There Are Two Major Kinds
When it comes to living roofs, it is important to be mindful of the two main types that you are likely to see used for garden rooms, which are turf roofs and sedum roofs.
Sedum roofs are typically much lighter and use succulents such as aloe vera and cacti that thrive in low-moisture environments, whilst turf roofs use the same types of topsoil and compost that a conventional garden would.
Turf roofs tend to be a lot heavier as a result, so if you are adding a living roof to an existing building, make sure you know that the roof can handle the extra weight.
They Are Older Than You Think
Discounting early longhouses that were largely hollowed out of existing hills, the modern living roof can be traced to the enigmatic architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and his Waldspirale apartment complex.
The Austrian designer constructed a spiralling apartment complex with a gigantic, elaborate garden that famously has more trees than tenants and was designed with the same principle of creating greater harmony between the constructed world and the natural one.
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