Maintenance is key to keeping your green roof healthy
A green roof is a real asset to a building and for it to continue to deliver the environmental and aesthetic benefits for which it was originally designed it is important to carry out maintenance on a regular basis.
General maintenance
All roofs require a minimum of two inspections a year to ensure that the outlets etc are maintained, regardless of the type of green roof. An intensive green roof will require the regular maintenance associated with the planting scheme and landscape design, whereas an extensive green roof will need only minimal maintenance to ensure that any unwanted species do not become established. For details of general maintenance on the different types of our green roofs, please download our general maintenance brochures below.
Maintenance Service
Green roof maintence is carried out by Bauder’s preferred maintenance providers. These experienced green roof maintenance companies have worked closely with Bauder carrying out maintenance services throughout mainland Britain for several years.
A typical maintenance programme includes:
- Roof Evaluation - One of the team experts will perform a comprehensive review of your green roof to determine what remedial work, if any, needs to be done.
- Removal of Unwanted Items - Over time a green roof can become congested with leaves, debris and other unwanted vegetation, which can be removed as part of the service.
- Inspection - of roof outlets and removal of any encroaching vegetation to enable water to flow freely through rainwater pipes.
- Application of fertiliser - To help restore your green roof to its best, an organic slow release granular fertiliser will encourage growth.
- Testing - After all remedial work has been performed the irrigation system will be examined and tested, ensuring it is working as expected.
These companies (details below) directly manage the maintenance of green roofs. This will cover all aspects of the service from quotations through to invoicing. Bauder and our preferred suppliers are wholly committed to the arrangement and look forward to ensuring a high standard of expert care and advice for our customers.
Green Maintenance in England and Wales: Based in Buckinghamshire and Dorset
Company: The Urban Greening Company
Name of Contact: Mike Cottage
Tel No: 07515 887868
Email: greenmaintenance@tugc.co.uk or mike@tugc.co.uk
Green Maintenance in Scotland: Based in Edinburgh
Company: Urban Utopia
Name of Contact: Gavin Gall
Tel no: 0800 061 4353
Email: office@urbanutopialandscapes.com
Website: http://urbanutopialandscapes.com
If you would like Bauder to forward your details to one of the preferred maintenance companies, please email c.roddick@bauder.co.uk giving details of the green roof and contact information with explicit permission for your detail to be shared with the preferred supplier.
Contact us today about your project
Each project is unique in its requirements, but we have
case studies and examples of our work available for you to look at. If you are looking for a green roof system, then
get in touch with our team to discuss your project’s individual needs.
FAQ's
1.
What is the cost of Bauder Maintenance and how do I go about getting a quote?
Please contact Bauder by email: greenmaintenance@bauder.co.uk or call . An idea of the approximate area, pitch and type of roof would help us in producing more accurate quotation
2. Do I need to maintain my green roof/How do I look after my green roof?
Yes. We recommend maintenance should be carried out at least once a year for sedum roofs/twice for wildflower roofs. Maintenance promotes healthy growth, biodiversity and reduces the chance of weeds establishing. There are a few simple things that will help your green roof. Weed the roof (once or twice a year). Sedum roofs should be fed every spring (using Bauder Organic Slow Release Fertiliser). Avoid walking on the vegetation. Water the roof regularly during hot dry weather
3. What happens if I do nothing to my green roof
Generally the roof is likely to deteriorate over time. Weed species are more likely to take hold and can choke out other vegetation. The amount of flowers are likely to reduce year on year. Drought conditions are likely to kill off some species reducing the diversity of the roof flora. Some weeds (tree saplings, buddleia & bamboo) can cause structural damage to the waterproofing of the roof if not removed.
4. Do I need to water my green roof after installation/in the long term?
Initially to bed in the green roof and allow for healthy establishment surface watering is required regularly for the first 6-10 weeks. This is particularly crucial if installation coincides with the spring / summer months. Treat the roof as you would a freshly laid lawn. Evening or early morning watering every day, watering the roof to saturation point (wet to the touch).
Following this establishment period irrigation becomes project specific and something that should be discussed at the initial stages of the green roof conception (see Bauder’s Watering Guide on the Bauder website).
ALL green roofs will benefit from watering in period of hot dry weather. Sedums are much more drought tolerant than British native wildflowers but Bauder always recommend there should be a way of watering a green roof in dry conditions (see Bauder’s Watering Guide)
5. My sedum roof looks dead / red, what is wrong?
When sedum is stressed in very cold or dry weather it can give a ‘reddish’ appearance, this is quite normal and it should recover (in the summer the red colour is an indicator that the roof should be watered). In some situations it may signify that the roof is in need of fertiliser. Also remember that some sedums are deciduous (meaning they will lose their leaf in the winter), these sedums should recover fully in the spring.
6. My sedum/wildflower roof has lots of grass/weeds - what is wrong and what can I do?
Sedum Roofs: Weeds can and do occur from time to time on green roofs. Normally the sedum is a dense mat of plants and there is only limited room for grass / weed to establish. Sedum is drought tolerant and should over a number of years remain the dominant plant species, however in very wet summers and warm winters grass can establish. Regular removal of weeds by hand during annual or biannual visits should prevent weeds becoming too established.
Wildflower Roofs: Weeds are just plants growing in the wrong location, Wildflower mixes tend to have small amounts of grass and weed like species in their growing mix. These are only a problem if they start to dominate the other vegetation or are unsightly. Regular removal of weeds by hand during biannual visits should prevent weeds becoming too well established.
7. My sedum/wildflower roof is bare, what is wrong?
Sedum like all plants need feed and water if the plants have struggled for a prolonged period of time the plants shrink back and their leaf size is reduced, eventually this can cause bare areas. Sedums are not like grasses and do not take kindly to trafficking.
Wildflowers are more susceptible to hot dry conditions and flower, go to seed and die back very quickly in hot dry summers, watering will prolong the flowering season for most species. Wildflowers are not like grasses and will be damaged by trafficking.
8. Do I need to feed my sedum/wildflower roof?
Sedum Roofs: Yes we recommend a feed once a year, which would be part of the Bauder Maintenance Contract.
Wildflower/Biodiverse Roofs: No almost certainly not, Native wildflower species typically grow best in low nutrient substrate. Feeding the substrate normally means that the plants are out competed by weed and grass species. We recommend the roof is assessed prior to any feed, which would be part of the Bauder Maintenance Contract.
9. The pebble stone edge is full of sedum, is that ok?
As part of the maintenance visit, gutters and drainage channels will be checked, and if required cleared or sprayed, to assure good drainage is occurring on the roof. This is important to the health of a green roof and important for fire safety.