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Grassy Rooftops

If summertime smog is turning the skies above your home a hazy shade of orange, turn the roof over your head into an oasis of green. GreenGrid, a Chicago-based business that reduced the energy load of many a business with their commercial green roofing systems, recently introduced a green roofing system for homeowners. The GreenGrid DIY Kit (www.greengridroofs.com, 847-918-4149) is so easy, the company says, you can install it in a Sunday afternoon.

Green roofs--roofs that are covered in grass, plants or other foliage--can really make a difference in the way your home impacts the environment. Not only do they absorb the ultraviolet radiation that increases the heat of your roof, thereby increasing the heat of your home and causing excessive energy drain, which in turn increases greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide from power plants, but they also trap dust and those very same power-plant generated, smog-forming pollutants. Green roofs also add an extra layer of insulation and serve as a sound barrier.

Currently, the GreenGrid kit is suitable only for people with flat roofs or roofs with less than a five percent incline. Otherwise, the plants will slide off the roof. The kits are sold in 2' x 2' x 4" modules that contain a variety of plants and foliage in a range of colors, so you can choose to cover as much of your roof as your budget will allow. And you can install it on top of your existing roof. Depending on the plant palette, the flowers will bloom as early as April and last as late as September. GreenGrid's roofs can also be installed with an Ecoballast (center module in the above image), a section filled with rocks, stones or gravel that helps manage stormwater runoff; the water is held in the module and then evaporates once a storm is over. If you consider installing a green roof, however, you should be aware that your current roof needs to be able to support 15 pounds per square foot (the weight of each module fully saturated with water).

Prices start at $34.40 (plus shipping) per module with a minimum order of 12.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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