Green roofs have definitely been an up and coming area of interest among homeowners across the world. Toronto has been the first North American city to introduce such a green roof by ordinance. Other municipalities followed suit in the hopes of reducing their carbon footprint, but not the citizens of Toronto. Why is this so? Are they unaware of the real benefits of green roofs provide? Or, is it simply because they are not aware of such technology or do not care to promote its use?
As is the case with many decisions made by municipalities, the reasons why residents in Toronto choose a green roof is not based on sound environmental reasoning. Rather, the rationale is quite simple. Toronto residents want to save money. The average roof replacement cost in Toronto is close to two thousand dollars. If you factor in the cost of heating, cooling, new decks and all the other additional expenditures that go along with owning a home, then you will see that having a green roof is not really going to save you much money.
Fortunately, there are other reasons why a green roof saves homeowners a lot of money. For one thing, having these roofs installed reduces the need for the average homeowner to buy new decking materials each year. If you live in a climate that snows during the winter, then having green roofs is going to be of enormous benefit to you. Over the past twenty years, Toronto has enjoyed some of the best winters in history, and the number of cold days has been cut down drastically.
Another advantage of green roofs is that they help reduce the amount of rain and snow that falls on the city’s streets and sidewalks. It’s true. Over the last twenty years, Toronto has experienced one of the lowest incidences of recorded heavy rainfalls in the world. Without these roofs, the amount of rain that fell on Toronto’s streets would be significantly higher. Instead, the rain simply found its way down to the ground and collected in the gutters and downspouts of Toronto homes, reducing the amount of water that ended up in our city’s water supply.
What’s more, the eco component of green roofs helps to improve air quality throughout the city of Toronto. As the temperature becomes warm, Toronto’s ozone layer is made to thicken. This makes Toronto’s residents more predisposed to respiratory problems such as asthma. These eco-friendly roofs also help to decrease the amount of UVB rays that are emitted from the sun. Ozone is believed to play a role in the development of chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Finally, another major benefit of a green roof is that it helps to make it easier for ground water to percolate into the ground. This happens because the earth’s soil is filled with silica. When it rains, the water gradually seeps into the ground and is absorbed by the silica. With this in mind, you can see how a green roof would make it much easier for rainwater to percolate into the ground and fill our lakes and streams with clean fresh water. As such, the quality of water that we use is improved, and this makes Toronto’s environment healthier overall.
In addition to improving water quality and helping to reduce pollution, green roofs can provide a number of other benefits as well. For example, a greener roof makes it easier for heat to be spread. This means that you will have significantly less need to keep your HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) running all year long. Another advantage of a green roof is that it can actually provide thermal value. Installing a roof with a green space can actually keep your home cooler on hot days and warm on cool days.
There are many benefits of green roofs that make them attractive to homeowners. They can improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint. They can also make your home more usable and even improve its curb appeal. If you want to know more about these benefits, contact a Toronto landscape designer today. It’s never been easier or cheaper to add a green roof to your home, and you’ll be glad you did.
