How to Extend Your Rooftop’s lifeline?
A rooftop is continually under attack from the sun, rain, wind, snow, fluctuating temperatures, and other elements. We tend to ignore our roofs unless there is an obvious leak or visible damage. The lifespan of a roof depends on the materials used. Roof membranes these days come with a 20 to 25-year warranty. But cracks (and leaks) tend to occur starting in year 12. Good luck calling the manufacturer in the year 2034 when your roof has a leak and asking them to repair it. If they’re even still in business then, the best you can hope for is a pallet of materials gets dropped at your front door.
So what is an alternative solution to increase your roof’s lifespan?
Rooftop Alternatives to increase the lifespan
Similar to putting a case on your iPhone, green roofs protect your roof’s membrane from the aforementioned elements. Depending on the type of green roof installed and the plants used, a green roof can extend your roof’s lifespan by up to 300%. Most green roofs are estimated to last 40-50 years, with some claims that an extensive green roof with PVC products can last for up to 90 years. This is around a 50 – 60 year increase from a conventional roof’s lifespan.
How do Green Roofs increase the life expectancy of a roofing system?
Covering your exposed roof with a green roof means that the plant leaves intercept the sunlight’s photons and use them as their energy source for photosynthesis. In this sense, a plant’s leaves act as rooftop solar panels. Weird but true. But the point is, these photons which chew holes in an unprotected roof, are absorbed by the plant leaves and other green roofing layers, and never reach the membrane buried below.
The layer of greenery protects the waterproof membrane underneath. The roof structure can require less maintenance, resulting in reduced costs associated with roof repairs and replacements. A well–maintained green roof doubles or triples the number of years before a roof needs to be replaced. This results in a return on the initial green roof investment and makes up for any installation costs.
