Grass Roofs – An Ecological Success Story

Whilst proving somewhat inconvenient and in some cases downright disappointing for some visitors to Cornwall, the frequent showers and occasional torrential rains of recent days are not a problem at Rosehill Lodges in Porthtowan http://www.rosehilllodges.com. They have it covered - with turf! In fact, grass roofing could present the answer to many of our modern day woes!

Green/grass roofs are by no means a new invention.  Many European countries like Iceland, Norway and Germany, have been turfing their roofs for hundreds of years. Now, in our increasingly developed world, where it is imperative that efforts are made to minimise the impact of humanity upon the environment, green roofs are looking more and more like they could be the answer.  It’s a tried and tested solution to the problems created by encroaching into the green spaces around us. Many people are surprised at the sheer number of benefits offered by green roofs.

One of the most obvious benefits is the retention of storm water run-off. Green roofs can retain as much as 82% of water that falls on them, minimising the run-off that can be so devastating in the floods seen increasingly these days due to the paving over of our green spaces and uprooting of trees. Very little vegetation grows in modern towns and cities and consequently when torrential rainstorms hit, drains become overwhelmed and overflow, causing flooding in vulnerable, low-lying areas. Green roofs can help to reduce this.

Green roofs also provide a useful green space for birdlife and a home for many rare insects, beetles, spiders and plant species, benefiting the ecology of the area in which they are situated.  At Rosehill Lodges the gardening team have been impressed at the sheer variety of different bees, beetles, butterflies and birdlife, to name but a few, that have been spotted here this year.

Several studies have shown that having a grass roof improves the air quality as well as water quality. Air around green roofs has up to 37% less sulphur dioxide, one of the key causes of acid rain and up to 21% less nitrous acid. Water is cleaned when passing through a green roof system, removing up to 60% of the cadmium, copper and lead and 16% of zinc from rainwater as it passes through.

In these days of increased heating bills in the UK, many would be impressed at the energy consumption statistics for buildings with grass roofs. Green/grass roofs have also been seen to extend the life of the roof by up to 3 times, protecting the roof from the weathering of UV rays, frost and ice. In addition to the significant benefits of insulation against the elements, they also provide useful sound insulation.

There is little doubt regarding the benefits of turfed roofs and developments that are designed to have a green roof installed are undoubtedly looked upon favourably by planners.  Just down the road from Rosehill lodges another holiday let development has followed suit and turfed all the roofs on its 16 apartments. It is to be hoped that more and more developments around Britain follow this example, helping to improve the health and well-being of all who live here as well as limiting our negative effect on the environment. For more information on green holidays in Cornwall see contact details.