Talk with the Guru

EXPERT GREEN
ROOFING SOLUTIONS

Rick Buist

The Green Roof Guru

Rick Buist, President of Bioroof Systems Inc., a green roof systems manufacturer as well as a licensed distributor of Xeroflor green roof systems, has come to be known in the industry as The Green Roofs Guru.

Going green

Why consider a green roof?

A green roof is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system that is installed on top of a flat or slightly–sloped roof. There are many benefits offered by a green or bio roof. But the primary reasons to consider a green roof are that they naturally cool buildings, they aid in storm water retention, and they contribute to the pollinator community.

Cools Buildings While Reducing Urban Heat Island Effect

Did you know that green roofs are able to cool the air temperature around them by up to 2° Celsius? Species (sedum) are commonly used in green roofs. These plants not only store water in their leaves (which minimizes water loss), but by cooling themselves down, these plants also end up cooling the roof of their building. Green roofs help reduce the need for air conditioning within buildings in the summer months and can even reduce Urban Heat Island effect.

Remarkable storm water retention

A green roof also helps control stormwater runoff and retention. We know that growing cities and towns means less green space and more concrete. With a regular roof, precipitation will usually run off the roof of a building into a gutter and storm sewer. From there, the water (and any contaminants on the roof) will either enter a water treatment plant or head back into the ecosystem (rivers, lakes, streams etc.)

In some cases, too much stormwater can result in a city’s sewage system overflowing into rivers or streams. A green roof helps prevent this by retaining stormwater in the growing medium which reduces the amount of water entering the ecosystem and reduces the likelihood of flooding or erosion.

Great for the Pollinator Community

Any detrimental environmental stressors on the populations of pollinator communities are often felt shortly after in other wildlife communities. The negative impact of a decimated pollinator population is far-reaching, resulting in consequences for biodiversity and food supply. Preserving pollinator species is incredibly important – and green roofs help!

Green roofs can serve as ‘pollen banks’ in city atmospheres where vegetation is rare, and the landscape mainly consists of concrete structures. A wide variety of vegetation is now used on green roofs to increase the likelihood of these native pollinator populations re-colonizing areas they may no longer frequent.

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