Fred V. Habenicht Rotary Park Green Roof Project
If you happen to find yourself in Maple Valley, we recently completed a project at the Fred V. Habenicht Rotary Park just off the 169 Highway as it passes over the Cedar River. This project encompassed what has become a growing trend in the roofing business known as a “Green Roof” or Vegetative Roof System that we installed on the park’s covered picnic area. The final product looks something like one big interconnected succulent garden but it actually consists of hundreds of interlocking trays that are hand placed one by one. In just two days the picnic area was transformed from a simple rain shelter to becoming a lush and thriving element of nature in its own right.
One passerby exclaimed something along the lines of “I have six inches of moss growing on my roof you can put up there!” From afar it may look as simple as a moss or grass-covered roof but with a better view you can start to make out the hundreds of hearty sedums that make up each one foot by two foot module. Similar to succulents, sedums are thick and fairly rigid plants that are also used in some cases as ground cover because they have extensive root systems and can tolerate the distress
of someone walking on them.
Here is an article about the project: http://voiceofthevalley.com/2016/11/07/fred-v-habenicht-rotary-parks-shelter-finally-green-roof/
The 515 modules used for this project were grown offsite at a nursery and then delivered directly to the job site once they were fully vegetated. Green roofs can be installed when the plants are not fully vegetated, however it’s best to wait for the root systems to develop and ensure the health of plants and longevity of the final product. Each tray consists of specially engineered soil ranging four inches in depth and weighing roughly 35 pounds when saturated.
Other than the obvious aesthetic value that green roofs offer, they also provide benefits ideal for the Northwest. Unlike a traditional roof, a vegetative roof absorbs rainfall which takes stress off your gutters and surrounding drainage areas. Green roofs also provide living spaces with added insulation which helps to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
-Ryan Phelps