A flower garden or lawn on the roof - what is it for, and how to create it with your own hands. Green roof: methods of landscaping, how to do it yourself Installing a lawn on a flat roof

In the West, the presence of a green lawn on the roof of a building no longer surprises anyone. For many Russians, roof landscaping seems inaccessibly exotic, although the climatic conditions in most parts Russian territory completely allow us to implement such a solution. Another question is how to grow a lawn on the roof with your own hands? What plants to choose, how to plant them correctly, and how to care for them?

What plants to choose for roof landscaping

First, let's figure out why you need a roof lawn? Don't consider green roofing just as an option. unusual decoration plot or as a tribute to fashion. A “green” roof has other advantages:

A “green” roof protects the roof from the destructive effects of ultraviolet radiation

• it allows you to significantly save space, which is small areas often not enough;
• has a beneficial effect on the environmental situation, which is especially important for houses located in the city center, among concrete and exhaust gases;
• protects the roof from the destructive effects of ultraviolet radiation;
• protects the house from overheating, providing natural air conditioning;
• reduces home heating costs;
• provides additional sound insulation;
• absorbs most of the precipitation and returns moisture back to the atmosphere;
• ensures fire safety of the roof.

In addition, a green roof can be used as a recreation area or children's playground, provided that the roof structure is designed to withstand such loads.

Video about growing a lawn on a roof

For most owners of private houses and summer residents, it is acceptable extensive landscaping, in which ground cover plants are grown on the roof, creating different kinds lawns or simply place plants in containers. Intensive landscaping, which involves creating a real garden with flower beds, trees, fountains and paths, is not affordable for everyone, so this type of landscaping can only be found on the roofs of hotels, restaurants and commercial buildings.

To decorate the roof of your house, cottage or garage, you can use plants with fibrous root systems, various meadow flowers, lawn grass, some types bulbous plants, sedums, alyssums, creeping phloxes, saxifrages and sedums. Feel good on roofs different varieties carnations and bells, gypsophila, lavender, oregano. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a bright one on the roof.

It is advisable that the height of the green cover does not exceed 30 cm

When composing a grass mixture for your lawn, take into account the climate in your region, as well as the fact that the plants will grow in an area exposed to the sun and winds. Thus, plants will be needed that are resistant to drought, low temperatures, wind attacks and direct sun rays. It is advisable that the height of the green cover does not exceed 30 cm.

Green roof design and grass growing

Previously, to set up a roof garden, it was necessary to make the most durable reliable roof possible at the construction stage, capable of withstanding a large number of soil serving as a reserve nutrients and moisture for plants. Now, thanks to new technologies, extensive landscaping is quite suitable for those roofs of houses that are already in use. It is only recommended to first repair the roof, if necessary, since then multilayer cake A green roof will be much more difficult to repair.

Ideal for growing lawns flat roof, But German technology They also allow you to plant roofs with a slope of up to 45 degrees, using special plant mats that replace the soil layer.

A flat roof is ideal for growing a lawn.

Using technology, experts construct the following “green” roof structure:

• used as a base continuous lathing from tongue and groove boards;
• waterproofing is placed on the sheathing, capable of resisting the germination of plant roots;
• the next layer is thermal insulation in the form of foam boards, roll material or gravel and expanded clay (sometimes thermal insulation is placed between the rafters of the sheathing, and a waterproofing layer is applied on top);
• further drainage is required - suitable drainage pipes laid on the edges of the roof slope in a gravel backfill, or gutters;
• a substrate is poured over the drainage with the addition of perlite, peat, expanded clay or lavalite;
• Seeds of herbs and flowers are sown in the substrate.

If the roof slope is more than 18 degrees, the lawn should be protected from sliding using frames made from wooden slats, wire mesh or special PVC gratings.

A quick and easy way to create a lawn on your roof with your own hands

If you do not intend to spend money on the services of specialists involved in installing a “green” roof, you can try to arrange a small flower garden or lawn on the roof on your own at minimal cost.

Place a centimeter layer of fine gravel on the waterproof film for drainage

Buy a durable waterproof film that does not change properties from exposure low temperatures and does not contain substances harmful to plants. If the width of the film is not enough, in special workshops you can weld several pieces of cloth the right size. In the designated place on the roof, build a flat recess from the film, bending the edges about 5 cm wide upward and securing them with planks or stones. To reset from time to time excess water accumulated after heavy rains, you can simply lower one of the corners of the film for a while. The bottom of the flower bed should be completely horizontal.

Place a centimeter layer of fine gravel on the waterproof film for drainage, and lay a 6 cm layer of well-moistened substrate on it. The substrate for growing plants on the roof can be mixed from peat chips and complete fertilizer (1 cubic meter per 3 kg).

There is no difficulty in how to grow grass for a lawn on the roof: just level it peat mixture, compact it slightly and lightly embed the seeds into the substrate. There is no need to compact the plantings from above, just make sure that the surface of the peat is constantly slightly moistened - on hot, dry days, water the lawn daily with a watering can or spray it, and if it becomes excessively waterlogged after rains, do not forget to drain the excess water. In a month it will be possible to apply complex fertilizer and immediately spray the grass clean water so that no salts remain on the plants.

Video about houses with plants on the roof

In your small roof garden you can grow not only lawn grass, but also a variety of summer flowers and small shrubs. Lay tile paths on top of the lawn or flat stones(make sure that they do not damage the film) so that you can comfortably walk around your flower garden.

To get started, it’s better to try creating a mini-lawn on the roof of a garage, gazebo, or even experiment on a doghouse. This way you will learn from your own experience how to grow a lawn on a roof, and at the same time decide whether the result is worth the effort.

Carrying out landscape design summer cottage, modern gardeners bring to life the most bold ideas. One such idea would be to create a lawn on the roof of your house.

We understand that such an extravagant way to decorate your site is perceived rather as a fabulous wonder.

But we assure you, this is quite possible. In Europe, roof gardens have long become commonplace. Let's try to make a “living” roof with our own hands.

Types of roof landscaping

The extent and methods of creating “living” roofs can be very diverse. But in landscape design there are two main directions - intensive and extensive.

Intensive landscaping involves the creation of complete garden areas on roofs, in which lush flower beds and even huge deciduous and coniferous trees can grow.

Such gardens are often built on the roofs of expensive hotels, restaurants and other commercial buildings. Ordinary gardeners are unlikely to be able to afford such luxury.

For extensive landscaping they are planting a lawn, ground cover plants or simply placing plants in containers. This method is popular among garden lovers.

IN in this case It would be preferable to choose plants that have fibrous root system, which makes the stem more resistant. Various meadow flowers and grasses, lawn grass, as well as saxifrage, sedum and some types of bulbous plants are suitable for such plantings. You can often find various varieties of bluebells and cloves on the roof.

Installation of a “living” roof

A standard green roof consists of six main layers:

— heat-insulating layer;

— waterproofing;

— drainage layer;

— filter layer;

— fertile soil;

- plants.

There is also an inversion option, in which the thermal insulation layer is installed above the waterproofing. Such a roof will be better suited for long-term use, since waterproofing coating will last longer because it will not be subject to mechanical and temperature stress.

A geotextile fabric is used as a filter layer, which can prevent clogging of the drainage. This is a thermally bonded material in which the fibers practically do not become clogged and last a long time.

One of the most important layers is the drainage layer. The main thing here is to combine the perforated drainage layer with special pipes. For drainage, high-strength material in rolls is used - polyethylene. high pressure or perforated polystyrene. If you are planning to make a regular lawn, then you can lay slabs of perforated polystyrene.

Water drainage will be carried out according to corrugated pipes having special slots for water drainage. You can also take regular ones asbestos pipes, having drilled small grooves in them in advance.

Thermal insulation material – foam glass. This material is most resistant to pressure from the roots and, moreover, has increased moisture resistance. But most importantly, it is environmentally friendly. You can also use polystyrene foam or mineral wool as thermal insulation.

It is necessary to take the installation of waterproofing with full responsibility. Modern market can offer special membranes that have anti-root protection. These can be synthetic or bitumen based materials. For more complex landscaping, aluminum foil is also applied to a membrane with waterproofing.

Carrying out water drainage

Speaking about how to arrange a lawn on the roof of a house, it is worth mentioning drainage. This system must efficiently and, importantly, reliably collect and drain water flows from the roof that form after precipitation and irrigation.

When calculating drainage, the size of the green space, roof slope, soil type and plant type are taken into account. The drains should be evenly spaced.

Features of installing a “living” roof

Generally, it is safest and easiest to do landscaping on relatively flat surfaces. Optimal roof for landscaping it should have a slope of up to 12 degrees. Such a roof can easily withstand any type of soil and plants.

The six-layer green roof pie puts significant pressure on bearing structures. With intensive landscaping, the roof must be designed at the construction stage. Extensive landscaping can also be done on an existing roof.

It is better to carry out roof repairs before installing landscaping, as significant problems may arise afterwards and even greater damage may occur. Waterproofing must be covered chemical protection, that is, anti-root drugs. In this case, the roots will not be able to penetrate inside and will grow along the surface of the waterproofing.

FlorDepot system

IN last years The FlorDepot system, developed by German company"BAU-TRADE". This technology assumes the ability to create lawns on roofs, the slope of which reaches 45-50 degrees. The FlorDepot system has three layers. To begin with, a waterproofing system is installed on the roof, on which a root-protective polyurethane film is covered.

Then a special plant mat is laid, made from polystyrene foam, which is highly resistant to ultraviolet radiation. This mat combines two functions at once - it provides excellent drainage and replaces natural soil.

It contains a range of different nutrients and clay minerals that have been specially selected for climatic conditions in Russia and CIS countries. Such a mat removes excess water and retains the necessary amount for the normal development of plants. A layer of substrate is applied to the mat and the plants are planted.

Green roof more than pays for all the efforts spent on its construction and maintenance. In addition to the aesthetic function, which no piece coating can challenge, it performs a number of others:

1. Absorbs ¾ of incoming precipitation, returning more than half of the moisture back to the atmosphere.
2. Creates a protective barrier for the main roofing material from exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
3. In summer it protects the building from overheating, and in cold period helps retain heat inside the house, thereby reducing heating costs.
4. Acts as an additional noise insulation factor.
5. Increases the decorative effect not only of the house, but also of the entire garden plot.

In landscape design, there are two directions for creating “living” structures - intensive and extensive. The first implies the formation of holistic flower arrangements, lush flower beds, mini-parks. These are highly decorative gardens, which are often installed on the roofs of expensive living rooms, restaurants and administrative buildings.

Installation of a system with trees, fountains and ponds is being discussed at the stage construction project, since specialists need to calculate all possible loads. If landscaping is carried out according to “ full program", then the expected load will be about 500 kg per 1 sq. meter, not counting decorative elements. Therefore, the structure is installed in the fall in order to check its reliability during the cold, snowy period.

Extensive landscaping is a simplified option for creating green cover, which is popular among amateur gardeners. For it, the strongest possible frame is not required; a supported, pre-repaired roof is also suitable.

A building with a lawn on the roof will bring considerable pleasure to its owners, be it a sprawling garden with a seating area or an ordinary green lawn.

Lawn on the roof - classic technology

By standard scheme altitude system Lawn laying should consist of 6 layers:

• heat insulating;
• waterproofing;
• drainage;
• filtering;
• fertile;
• vegetable.

Base under the roof are made of plywood slabs or tongue and groove boards. The joints between them are “sealed” bituminous material using a gas burner.

In the inversion version, first a waterproofing layer is installed, then a heat-insulating layer. Thus, the waterproof coating will be subject to less pressure and will last much longer.

Geotextile fiber most often acts as a filter layer, preventing rapid clogging of the drainage.

The drainage layer is a heavy-duty material (high-density polyethylene or perforated foam polystyrene), which is laid on a root-protective film. To drain water, corrugated or asbestos pipes with special grooves are installed. If the surface is horizontal, a slope of 1.5-5% is created for the normal functioning of the system.

If the grass cover is placed on a roof with a slope of more than 18 degrees, the drainage is additionally equipped with a “clawed” layer to prevent the substrate from sliding. For this purpose, PVC gratings, reinforcement and wire mesh, special bristly fabric.

Placed at the very bottom thermal insulation coating – foam glass. This substance has moisture resistance and increased resistance to root pressure. Sometimes foam glass is replaced with extruded polystyrene foam or mineral wool.

How to make a lawn on the roof of a house with your own hands

A roof garden does not have to be a bulky structure consisting of several layers of soil, drainage and sealing measures. Anyone can install a green roof without investing a lot of effort and material resources.

To create a lawn above your head you will need:

• durable waterproof film;
• peat crumbs, fertilizers;
• fine gravel.

The film must be environmentally friendly and resistant to temperature changes. To begin with, we construct a flat recess on the site. We spread the film, leaving the edges 6-8 cm wide. Holding them in this position, we support them on both sides with planks or stones. If the area is large and the film is small, it can be made from several pieces in any greenhouse.

Water drainage can be ensured without resorting to installing a complex drainage system - it is enough to periodically lift the film in one of the corners.

To improve the quality of the substrate, mix peat crumbs with complex fertilizer for plants (3 kg per 1 cubic meter of crumbs).

Ensuring reliable drainage is very simple, just pour over the entire surface thin layer gravel (1 cm). On top, in a layer of 5-6 cm, lay the moistened fertile mixture. Then the area is leveled and slightly compacted. That's it, the site is ready! At your discretion, you can populate it not only with a lawn, but also with flowers, shrubs, even dwarf trees.

Plants with a fibrous root system (lawn, creeping, meadow, bulbous) are best suited for a high-altitude garden. They must be unpretentious, because the conditions to which they will have to adapt are quite harsh: wind, dry air, poor soil.

Caring for the site will be limited to watering, mainly during drought, and periodic mowing. Some gardeners do not recommend mowing the lawn at all, so as not to damage the insulation. Moreover, when correct selection components, plant height will not exceed 30 cm.

For free movement on the grass, a green roof, as well as ordinary garden, can cross paths made of flat stones and tiles. They must be laid on soft peat so as not to damage the film.

Sowing lawn grasses occurs as follows: we plant the seeds in the substrate, lightly compact and moisten them. During dry periods, the area must be watered or sprayed daily. The humidity of the substrate should be such that if you pick up a handful you can squeeze out a couple of drops of water.

The supply of nutrients to the plants will be enough for the first month. After this, additional feeding will be required. For every sq. per meter of area, scatter 40 g of fertilizer and spray the grass with clean water. Water will wash away adhered salt particles and prevent chemical burns. Over time, the need to apply fertilizers will disappear: they will be replaced by dying phytomass.

Such recreation areas can be arranged on any site, even asphalt. The main thing is that the plants are provided with light, heat and nutrients.

"Living" roof - original idea and for country house, and for urban structures. A covering of real grass will turn any extraordinary building, be it a balcony, the roof of a high-rise building or even a doghouse, into a fairy-tale lawn.

Norwegian roofs with a lawn instead of tiles is the talk of all neighboring nations. Ironic Swedes have long been drawing Norwegians with grass on their heads instead of hair. Charming lawn roofs have now become as symbolic of the country as popular with tourists as fjords, trolls and salmon.

Grass roofs appeared in Norway and the Faroe Islands in ancient times. It was convenient and economical: construction material at hand, such roofs did not require special care, served for a long time, and even helped to camouflage from enemies.

Naturally, those who care about preserving traditions, Norwegians still lay them now - grass roofs can be seen on modern hotels and restaurants, on private houses and bus stops public transport. In some villages, almost half of the roofs sway in the wind like green waves. They say they improve the microclimate, provide reliable heat and waterproofing, and stabilize the temperature in the house.

Many craftsmen do such roofs yourself. The technology is described in detail on the Internet. Several private companies also offer the service in Norway. Although new tools are used when laying grass roofs, the basis is still the original technology and many manual labor Therefore, such roofs are somewhat more expensive than ondulin roofs.

First of all it fits several layers of dry bark. To make it waterproof, it can be soaked in sheep fat or blood. Peat, straw, moss are laid on it...

Many people dream of building a cottage With landscape design on the roof a la the Vikings. They say: “Can you imagine when the roof is Mother Earth, how peacefully you will sleep?”

The fact is that in the Norwegian roof there is a real biocenosis in its harmonious balance. Moreover, the roof simply must be moist; grass (and even bushes and trees) feed on this moisture, along with all the microorganisms of living peaty soil. At the same time, it does not require painstaking care only thanks to unique features Norwegian climate.

Rising this summer on the famous Prestolen rock, using the roots of trees, like steps, you can unravel the secret of the Norwegian fauna. In order for such a thin layer of soil to bear fruit so abundantly, it requires almost daily watering. The humidity and raininess of the Norwegian climate, as is known, is included in the Guinness Book of Records. Anywhere else on the planet, a grass roof would quickly dry out and be blown away by the wind.

It’s also clear where the rain comes from. The Gulf Stream reaches Norway. The warm vapors, in turn, hit the mountain range, cool and rain (in Bergen, on a generally sunny day, I opened my umbrella five times!). Norway's water cycle is the most intense in the world. This is where they have 80 percent of hydropower and generally a surplus of energy, which they generously share with Europe. And what is especially valuable, unlike oil, it is a renewable, or rather, inexhaustible resource! This is physics.

That's why main characteristic The thing about a Norwegian roof is that, with all its functionality, it is also alive and fertile!

In eastern Norway behind the mountain range, where the climate is drier - and there are an order of magnitude fewer roofs with grass.

Who saw it for the first time in Norway earthen roofs, they remember the famous English lawn. The fact that it needs to be cut, watered and rolled for 500 years is all a fairy tale for naive foreigners. Modern lawns have long been rolled out, mesh reinforced, planted in squares... After a year it is no different from 500 years old.

But nowhere does it say about the main thing - about its composition. And the whole secret is in the peaty base of the soil of the British Isles. This is why there is no wind erosion there (like ours), this is why the golf ball rolls like on a billiard table. That is why a horse gallops across it without tearing out the turf with its horseshoes, and that is why only on the grass courts of Wimbledon it is possible to cut the lawn to a height of only 8 millimeters (!) - standard for the legendary Grand Slam tournament.

About the same with grass roofs. Their creation is justified only in the Norwegian climate and Norwegian turf. In our case, if a craving for roots has awakened, it is better to cover the roof with wood chips.

For several centuries, roofing in Norway was carried out using natural environmental materials. Green roofs in this country do not surprise anyone and are traditional. Since ancient times, the peoples of Scandinavia have made roofs from peat, turf, birch bark and other natural environmental materials.

The descendants of the Vikings, the Norwegians, highly appreciated this method of roofing and managed to preserve green roofs on their houses to this day. Almost until the beginning of the 19th century, turf was universal material, with the help of which they covered the roofs of houses of all classes in Norway.

Over time, materials such as tiles, slate and others appear on the market. roofing materials, which gradually began to replace the traditional Norwegian ecological, beautiful and cute grass roofs. The “advance of civilization” began in the cities, but eventually reached the countryside.

Green grass roofs in Norway were saved from complete extinction by enthusiasts.

They organized and led a movement aimed at reviving ancient folk traditions. At first the museums open air, holiday houses in the mountains... and then green roofs made of grass and flowers again became simply popular and fashionable.

Indeed, in addition to the fact that such roofing is simply beautiful and gives aesthetic pleasure, it is quite cheap, durable, stabilizes the temperature in the house, improves the microclimate, providing reliable heat and waterproofing. Therefore, green roofs have become popular again and have become a worthy alternative new building materials.

Characteristic features of the nature of the owner of a country house or dacha can be called the desire to improve his possessions and an irrepressible craving for creativity, ultimate goal which is all the same improvement - a plot, a house, utility and utility rooms.

Green roofs- a topic loved by many. What makes this process even more interesting is the expansion of its scope. Over the past few years, it has been gaining popularity in “suburban” Russia. new trend- landscaping... roofs! However, everything new, as we know, is just well-forgotten old. Such floristic delights could be found several centuries ago in northern Russian villages, and in the Baltic states, and in Finland: roofs were covered with moss and turf not at all in pursuit of beauty - this is how they insulated and strengthened the roof, but thatched roof saved from fire (due to overheating in the sun) and rotting (exposure to dampness).

What motivates green roof enthusiasts today? The answer is obvious: this is an extension usable area site through the use of other surfaces, and the creation additional places for landscaping, and the opportunity to give the house (barn, pergola, etc.) a non-standard appearance, and even the creation of new recreation areas.

Extensive roof greening method

This method has 3 features:

• inability to walk through green spaces;
• the maximum permissible surface slope is 28 degrees.

Irrigation of the surface plays a huge role - if an artificial irrigation system is not provided, take care of the convenience of delivering water to the roof (hose, watering can, makeshift shower).

The main “residents” of the roof are: lawn grass, sedums, saxifrages. You can also plant bulbous ones. Main principle- planting plants that require minimal care and blooming in different time. With a successful selection, you can get a garden of continuous flowering.

Extensive roof greening can be done on your own. Evaluate the surface being treated. What is its condition: how reliable is the foundation, what load can it withstand, what is the quality of the roof? Think about the location of the future oasis. It is necessary to take into account the direction of the light, illumination, intensity " sunbathing", openness to winds and precipitation. Choose plants to plant with this in mind.

In addition to drought, there is another enemy of the roof garden - stagnant moisture. In this case, it not only harms the roots of plants, but also significantly increases the load on the load-bearing surface. So for roofs with a slope of less than 4 degrees you will have to equip drainage system. Or forcefully form the desired slope.

Preparing the roof surface for landscaping

The base is treated if necessary special compounds: primers, fungicides, water repellents. Then a root protection film is placed on it. Remember how a seed blown by the wind onto the roof of a building grows into a decent-sized tree, mercilessly crushing even granite with its roots. The film will allow the roof to avoid this fate. The geo-fabric or can help reduce the load on the roof and avoid soil sliding.

The basis for planting is usually a fertile layer or substrate (layer thickness 5-20 cm). The mixing of soil and drainage layer that occurs over time will be avoided by separating them with a thin geotextile. The roof slope must be well reinforced. At a large angle of inclination, it is possible to prevent the vegetative layer from sliding by using geogrids.

Intensive roof greening method

It is usually carried out by professionals. This comes with a serious responsibility: the load per 1 sq. m of surface with intensive landscaping ranges from 150 to 750 kg. Accordingly, the basis is presented increased requirements. On landscaped area It will be possible to lay out not only an ordinary lawn, but also an entire park - with trees, a pond, streams. You can put up a gazebo and lanterns, lay out paths. Lushly blooming and exquisite mixborders will delight the eye all season. A automatic system watering will solve irrigation issues.

Experts recommend landscaping immediately after completion. construction work. It is better if the creation of a roof garden is included in the design project - this will avoid disharmony with the main landscape and architectural appearance of the main buildings.