Can a Living Roof Increase Your Property’s Value?
You will almost certainly have heard of living (AKA green) roofs by now. These are roofs that have special coverings that allow for vegetation or grass to grow on them. Many homeowners have living roofs to grow vegetables on, or to provide homes for local wildlife.
Although most living roofs are flat, there’s the potential to have a sloped version, too. There’s also two types – shallow and deep. Shallow roofs have a thin layer of substrate for grass, moss and smaller plants, whereas deep ones have a thicker layer for vegetables and even small trees!
Can it increase your property value?
In a word, yes! Giving each room and every possible space in your home a purpose increases the value. This includes the roof and other outside spaces. By installing a living roof, no matter how simple or complex, you’ll give your property value a big boost. People can sit on the roof, or grow vegetables on it; they can attract all sorts of wildlife to it and it’s just plain different!
Here’s what else a living roof can do for you and your home’s value:
A living roof traps water
This sounds like a bad thing, but it’s not. By trapping water, the substrate and plants keep it away from the membrane. This is especially important if you have a flat roof, which could otherwise be prone to leaks and deterioration due to rain.
A living roof improves air quality
The extra vegetation filters out air pollutants and dust both physically and chemically. It also, due to transpiration, sends out water into the immediate environment and cools it down a bit.
It saves you money
As you can imagine, a living roof offers great insulation and keeps the interior cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. You’ll lose less energy and help the environment.
It’ll reduce noise
Living roofs absorb noise, both inside and outside. Some studies have shown that grassed roofs can lower noise from outside by as much as 40 decibels, and external noises by as much as 50 decibels. If you’re near an airport or a motorway, this is great news.
What are you waiting for?
