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Green roof systems

Green roofs, or living roofs, are partly or completely covered with vegetation, planted in a growing medium, and installed over a waterproofing membrane. They may also include additional layers such as a root barrier, a drainage layer, water storage and irrigation systems. They can contribute to BREEAM credits or help a development achieve planning permission. Green roofs can help to:

  • promote biodiversity
  • combat the urban heat islands effect
  • absorb CO2
  • reduce heat loss
  • provide acoustic or thermal insulation
  • help with sustainable drainage schemes
  • provide recreational space

Green roof systems fall into five main types: Extensive green roofs, Intensive green roofs, Semi-intensive green roofs, Biodiverse roofs and Brown roofs.

  • Extensive Green Roof Substrate
    Extensive Green Roof Substrate
    A blend of 10mm graded PAS 100 Compost blended with 8-14mm expanded clay lightweight aggregate and mulched wood fines. A substrate with a thickness of between 5-14cm, this blend is suitable for low maintenance extensive green roof applications, and sedum planting due to its relatively low organic content, high porosity, and good particle...
    MCM-SE
    • PRODUCT
  • Green Roof Substrate
    Green Roof Substrate
    A green roof is a unique environment that calls for a unique growing medium. With almost 2 decades of growing sedum and wildflower blankets for use on extensive green roofs, Turfonline have perfected a growing medium that meets the needs of both the building and the plants. Our specially blended extensive green roof substrate is tested to the...
    Harrowden
    • PRODUCT
  • Green roof sedum fertiliser
    Green roof sedum fertiliser
    Harrowden's specially formulated Sedum Fertiliser, designed for living roofs, has a completely new formula that covers 65m2. Sedum Fertiliser is an essential part of their recommended green roof maintenance regime. Harrowden Sedum Fertiliser is a slow-release organic feed formulated for healthy and robust plants. This maximises benefits for any...
    Harrowden
    • PRODUCT
  • Terraxx - green roof drainage membrane
    Terraxx - green roof drainage membrane
    Terrax is a dimpled sheet with a geotextile layer which acts as a surface layer. Normally used as a green roof external drainage layer, it also protects the primary waterproofing applied to substrate. Laminated on to the dimpled sheet, a layer of compression-resistant permanent filtration geotextile prevents the dimple structure from being clogged...
    Delta Membrane Systems
    • PRODUCT
  • Wildflower plugs for green roofs
    Wildflower plugs for green roofs
    A specially-curated blend of hardy, low-maintenance native British wildflowers for green roofs. This mix, including species like sedum, wild thyme and saxifrage, not only adds a burst of colour but also contributes to biodiversity and helps with insulation. Turn rooftops into a sustainable and eco-friendly haven that benefit both the environment...
    British Wild Flower Plants
    • PRODUCT
  • Grassroof GFR/2 green roof system
    Grassroof GFR/2 green roof system
    The Grassroof green roof system combines the functions of paving and a drainage layer. LS/1 leg supports are simply bonded to the roof membrane to create a gap at the underside of the paver. With the GRF/2 system, a bonded geotextile on the underside of each unit creates a microporous barrier that holds the soil in place but allows water to...
    Grass Concrete
    • PRODUCT
  • Green Roof - Alumasc Roofing - East Beach Cafe
    Green Roof - Alumasc Roofing - East Beach Cafe
    East Beach Café, Shoebury, Southend on Sea – Client was Southend on Sea Borough Council. The waterproofing was handled by Tower Roofing with Pritchard & Pritchard installing the green roof element. The location of the site was tricky, coastal with sea breezes and saltwater spray. Harrowden advised and assisted in the design of the Sedum Extensive...
    Harrowden
    • PROJECT
  • Enviromat® Sedum Turf for green roofs
    Enviromat® Sedum Turf for green roofs
    Enviromat® sedum matting is used for extensive green roofs, as well as being well-suited as a low-maintenance ground cover. The overall appearance of an Enviromat® sedum green roof is well manicured, neat and contemporary. Grown on a special matting for strength, versatility and easy installation, Enviromat® is supplied with 95% coverage of mature...
    Harrowden
    • PRODUCT
  • Wildflower green roof for cycle shed
    Wildflower green roof for cycle shed
    As nearby parking spaces are few and far between, staff are encouraged to cycle to work at the Boathouse in Teddington. Landscape architects Outerspace therefore required a cycle store. This was designed to incorporate a green roof which would feature wild flowers. The clients chose Meadowmat woodland shade as the site was too shady for sedum matting or...
    Harrowden
    • PROJECT
  • Green roof creates interest for nursery children
    Green roof creates interest for nursery children
    Little Jungle Nursery in SE London has strong environmental and ecological ideals and wished to bring plants, pollinators and other wildlife into its environment. A green roof was installed on a small storage shed at the front of the nursery that children could see from the window and could watch flowers develop and see insects at work...
    Harrowden
    • PROJECT
  • Lightweight aluminium green roof edging
    Lightweight aluminium green roof edging
    Lightweight aluminium green roof edging is available in two face heights to suit Harrowden Turf's range of living roof products. 33 laser-cut slots per metre allow the free draining of water, whilst retaining pebbles or substrate. The base on both versions is 100mm wide allowing the weight of the green roof system or pebbles to hold it in place...
    Harrowden
    • PRODUCT
  • 20mm HDPE drainage board for green roofs
    20mm HDPE drainage board for green roofs
    Harrowden offers a tough cuspate drainage board with integral filter fleece that is ideal for intensive and semi-intensive green roofs, providing irrigation and drainage. A 20mm Black HDPE (high-density polyethylene) punched cuspate drainage board with a geotextile filter fleece bonded to a single side (top). The 20mm cuspate provides water...
    Harrowden
    • PRODUCT
  • Living green roof for historic windmill home
    Living green roof for historic windmill home
    Harrowden supplied its premium grade turf for the green roof on an extension to a 300-year-old windmill as part of a home renovation. A grass mound was excavated to make room for this semi-submerged extension with grass roof. Visually, the project has barely had an impact on the building yet the living space has more than doubled...
    Harrowden
    • PROJECT
  • ASF green roof single cycle shelter
    ASF green roof single cycle shelter
    ASF green roof cycle shelters use a roof tray and sedum matting to convert the usually utilitarian product of a cycle shelter into an attractive unit that promotes biodiversity. The frame and tray of the cycle shelters are manufactured in 275 carbon steel from recycled sources. As standard they are finished galvanised and powder coated in holybush...
    Architectural Street Furnishings
    • PRODUCT
  • ASF green roof double cycle shelter
    ASF green roof double cycle shelter
    ASF green roof cycle shelters use sedum matting to convert the utility product of a cycle shelter into a pleasing and architectural unit that promotes biodiversity: frames and trays are manufactured in 275 carbon steel from recycled sources; supplied with GT4 extensive roof garden substrate and roofdrain membrane - pre-grown sedum matting is...
    Architectural Street Furnishings
    • PRODUCT
  • Grassroof GFR/1 green roof system - standard unit
    Grassroof GFR/1 green roof system - standard unit
    The Grassroof green roof system combines the functions of paving and a drainage layer. LS/1 leg supports are simply bonded to the roof membrane to create a gap at the underside of the paver. With the GRF/1 system, this gap is filled in with a lightweight aggregate filter media...
    Grass Concrete
    • PRODUCT
  • Enviromat Sedum Green Roof Kit for pitched roofs
    Enviromat Sedum Green Roof Kit for pitched roofs
    This is a simple green roof kit that can be installed in a day. It comprises a root barrier, water retention blanket and sedum matting. Enviromat pitched green roof kit is suitable for living green roofs with a gentle slope between 3 and 20 degrees. If the roof has a steeper or shallower pitch, Harrowden Turf provides advice on specification. The...
    Harrowden
    • PRODUCT
  • Intensive lightweight roof garden substrate
    Intensive lightweight roof garden substrate
    MCM's blended intensive lightweight roof garden substrate is a low-porosity, easy-draining product that is also suitable for podium landscaping. Thanks to a higher level of organic matter, lower porosity, and particle size, this roof garden topsoil suits the healthy well-drained establishment of an intensive or semi-intensive green roof planting...
    MCM-SE
    • PRODUCT
  • Outdoor classrooms with seating and green roofs for school
    Outdoor classrooms with seating and green roofs for school
    Handspring Design created two 6 x 4m timber outdoor classrooms with sedum green roofs, seating and planters for the roof space and playground of a primary school in Wandsworth, London. The base frames of the Angled shelters are made from galvanised steel box section, with UK FSC Douglas fir timber for the rest of the structure. They have been designed to...
    Handspring Design
    • PROJECT
  • Roundhouse timber shelter with green roof - West Park, Worthing
    Roundhouse timber shelter with green roof - West Park, Worthing
    Handspring designed, manufactured and installed a 4m-dia Roundhouse shelter with a sedum roof at West Park in Worthing, having previously installed a 5m-dia version. The latest one includes seats on three sides and cladding on two. The local council's park team helped to get all of the components and green roof substrate and sedum turf to site...
    Handspring Design
    • PROJECT
  • Green roof cycle shelter and 2-tier bike racks for university
    Green roof cycle shelter and 2-tier bike racks for university
    Broxap installed a Blox cycle compound with sedum roof as part of the repurposing of car parking areas at the University of Oxford's new Life and Mind Building, boosting the strategy’s environmental benefits. The new-build research facility houses the department of zoology, plant sciences and experimental psychology and will also be home to a new...
    Broxap
    • PROJECT
  • Delta Root Block - root barrier membrane for green roofs
    Delta Root Block - root barrier membrane for green roofs
    Delta Root Block is a high-performance, puncture-resistant root barrier membrane specially designed to offer protection to primary waterproofing membranes against a broad spectrum of indigenous trees, shrubs and planters. It provides robust protection to primary waterproofing systems covering green roofs, blue roofs, hybrid roofs or where...
    Delta Membrane Systems
    • PRODUCT
  • RoofBloxx attenuation system used for blue green roof - Dublin
    RoofBloxx attenuation system used for blue green roof - Dublin
    ACO worked with Beton Construction Services to design and specify an innovative blue green system - the first of its kind in Dublin - that would manage stormwater runoff and improve resilience for a commercial 3-storey residential apartment building. In 2021, Clonvara Developments set sights on redeveloping 47-48 Chelmsford Road in Ranelagh...
    ACO Water Management
    • PROJECT
  • ACO RoofBloxx attenuation system for green / blue roofs
    ACO RoofBloxx attenuation system for green / blue roofs
    ACO RoofBloxx is a complete roof attenuation system for blue, green and blue / green roofs. It enables engineers to create a drainage platform for multi-functional open green spaces at roof or podium level. The system comprises a shallow, high-strength, adjustable geocellular storage void and roof outlet flow control system. ACO RoofBloxx is fully...
    ACO Water Management
    • PRODUCT