Living roofs on garden sheds

Living roofs on garden sheds – At Turfonline, we specialise in growing lawn turf. But did you know that our parent company, Harrowden Turf Ltd, can supply a green roof kit that will make your shed roof come alive?

What is a living roof?

A living roof is something special.  It’s sometimes called a green roof and it involves growing real plants on top of a building.

A living roof doesn’t affect the waterproofing and it needn’t be difficult to look after.  What is does do is make your shed a whole lot warmer in winter, cooler in summer and more beautiful to look at.

The benefits of a living roof

1. It keeps a building warmer in winter and cools it down in summer time.
2. Noise barrier. A living roof means the occupants of a building won’t notice quite as much noise from outside
3. Wildlife friendly – butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects love a living roof. So do birds and a whole host of mini-beasts.  A living roof can support a small ecosystem.
4. Soaks up rainwater and helps stop flooding. Ok a living roof on one shed won’t stop your house being inundated with water when the river overflows.  But it will reduce the amount of rainwater that pours off the roof and into the garden.  If you do have problems with sogginess in your garden – this will help alleviate it.
5. Cleans the air. All plants help clean and purify the air we breathe.  A living roof allows you to grow more plants for even better air.
6. Looks stunning – especially when looking down from an upstairs window. Who wouldn’t rather look at leaves and flowers than plain old roofing felt?

How to make a living roof on your shed

First make sure your shed is strong enough!

A simple sedum living roof weighs around 50Kg per square metre.  Add to that the fact that you are going to want to stand on it to install and maintain the roof and you need to allow for 120Kg per square metre.

Double-check the waterproofing

The green roof build-up is not waterproof and it won’t fix any existing leaks.  Get those sorted out before you install any of the green roofing layers.

Add an edging

An edging makes the whole project look neater and it protects the plants from wind damage.  Remember though to make sure that water can still drain off the roof easily.

Use a green roof kit to establish the plants

A green roof kit from Turfonline contains the right components for you to install a living sedum roof.  Depending on whether your roof is flat or pitched, the kit contains drainage mat, water retention mat and a blanket of sedum plants.  This kit will create THE most beautiful living green roof  – instantly.

More about living green roof kits