Going Green From the Top Down!

Sometimes all you can say is . . . cool! In this case it's true in both the figurative and the literal sense.

"To have a truly green structure, consider trading in the roof shingles for plants. The idea of a green roof might sound a little odd at first, but the idea is taking root in the Lowcountry, thanks to Charleston Green Roofs. Sam Gilpin launched the company about six months ago as a way to combine a degree in horticulture with a construction background.

'I wanted to get out of swinging a hammer. I was getting too old for it,' he said. 'This is a good combination and helps the environment.'

But how exactly do you put plants on the roof? A green roof is a layered system of pervious and impervious surfaces. Extensive green roofs have soil that is deeper to support larger plants. An intensive green roof (what Gilpin recently did at Bowens Island Restaurant) has shallower soil with smaller plants.

Gilpin used drought-tolerant and native plants, covering them with about 5 inches of primarily structural lightweight aggregate. A drainage mat underneath provides a root barrier and keeps the plant roots from taking over the drainage cups that hold excess rainwater. The green roof, which is about 10 inches thick, can absorb 100% of water from a short rain, Gilpin said.

A green roof is set up to be maintenance free. The plants might need a little extra water the first season. But once they establish roots, Mother Nature takes care of the rest, Gilpin said.

While green roofs are a new endeavor in Charleston, they’re common in Europe, and Chicago has more green roofs than anywhere in the United States, Gilpin said. 'I think the future is real bright for this,' Gilpin said.

A green roof will cost about $5 more per square foot, which Gilpin admitted can add up on a large roof. He’s looking at ways to bring the cost down. The aggregate he uses is shipped in from North Carolina, which is neither green nor inexpensive, Gilpin said. An alternative might be crushed red brick.

The biggest benefits of a green roof are added insulation and, for a large building, storm water management. The internal temperature difference between a green roof and a regular, flat roof is 40 to 60 degrees, Gilpin said. Better insulation certainly translates into utility savings. Gilpin said large buildings could see hundreds of dollars saved in heating and cooling costs."

For the full Charleston Regional Business Journal article: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/pub/14_12/news/12186-1.html

For the Charleston Green Roofs website: http://charlestongreenroofs.com/Welcome.html