Houses whose walls are covered in green, with only windows sticking out, are definite eye turners wherever they exist. The same goes for those establishments whose roofs resemble a green garden and make you wonder what lies beneath. Are those merely aesthetical contributions or is there something else that inspired their owners to have them? Here is what this is all about.

Green walls are in fact sets of plant panels vertically growing on free-standing or structures attached to the walls. They are sustainable and very durable. Apart for aesthetic contribution, green walls are a great way to improve the quality of living.  They provide great thermal and acoustic isolation and represent a very successful air cleaner, especially the interior ones, and pollution barrier. Everything stated applies to green roofs as well. Now, important facts about their installment.

Green walls

There is much more to green wall systems behind the design. The most durable ones consist of a frame, waterproof panels, automatic irrigation system and optional extras, such as lights for example and plants, of course. The frame is attached to the walls on several secured points, without damaging the structure and leaving air between them to reinforce the insulation and prevent moisture. This is additionally secured by using waterproof panels, which hold the entire structure together. The most successful green walls are soilless, which makes them easier to maintain, more efficient and economic when it comes to irrigation and lighter, thus easier and safer to install. The choice of plants that can be used is practically infinite and this makes them highly customizable and allows creation of unique designs and patterns.

Green roofs

So, you put a lot of soil canisters on top of your house, plant different greenery in it, and let the rain and the Sun take care of everything else? Of course not. Installing a green roof, that is a successful one, is a complex task. If you think you will not be able to rise to the challenge, the best way to go is to let the professionals do it and here is why. First of all, the roof needs to be prepared and to have a pitch of at least one quarter of an inch for every foot it runs. This is something that flat roof homeowners should pay special attention to. Next, you need to be sure that your roof will be able to support the load, which can amount to 30 pounds of extra load per square foot.  If it needs strengthening, do not do anything else before you finish this. The next step is to isolate the roof surface, usually with rubber or some other waterproof material. Now you are ready for positioning of one by two foot planted trays and arranging them to cover the whole roof area. The trays are placed in rows starting from the bottom all the way to the top. They are connected to each other for stability and irrigation and raised above the roof surface, to allow runoffs. Finally, exterior grade screws are used to reinforce the whole and it is watered to allow the soil to settle down.  Unless there is a four week period of draught, you will not need to water it ever again.

Obviously, this synergy of architecture and gardening will not only make your house aesthetically appealing, but you will have a healthier and more pleasant living environment and a bigger home budget. A win-win situation.