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With concerns over the environment reaching an all-time high, people are looking to their houses and office buildings to see how they can make them more energy efficient. The roof, in particular, is where most buildings could be improved as they lose a phenomenal amount of heat through them if they aren’t properly insulated.
This is not only bad news for the environment but it’s bad news for your pocket too as your heating bills will be costing you a fortune.
Green roofs https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/green-roof/ have become popular to combat this effect, but so have blue roofs. A blue-roof is different from a traditional roof in the respect that most roofing systems are designed to repel water, whereas a blue-roof is designed to retain it.
The idea behind this is that instead of water from a storm going into the sewers and reservoirs at once causing flooding, the water is released gradually at a controlled rate.
Blue roof attenuation is a revolutionary roofing product that is helping to win the battle against constantly changing weather patterns and flooding. Sustained stormy weather is becoming more frequent and the drainage systems, rivers, canals and streams struggle to cope, leading to flash flooding and untold misery for those in the surrounding areas.
In the most serious cases, much of the local area ends up being submerged leaving a repair bill to the tune of millions of pounds in its wake.
The blue roof system was developed to combat these events. Attenuation simply means that the force of something is reduced, and in this case, that is the rate of water that is allowed to drain from the roof at any one time.
Traditional drain pipes and guttering cannot cope with heavy rainfall and the sewer systems and waterways end up taking the brunt of it. A blue-roof system actually stores the water and releases it bit by bit.
This takes the pressure off the sewer systems and natural watercourses and reduces the chances of flooding dramatically.
Rainwater attenuation system suppliers are becoming more common as the regularity of these flash floods increase. Installers and suppliers are getting busier year on year and it won’t be long until blue roofs are as commonplace as traditional pitch roofs.
You may have heard of them before, but what are blue roofs? A blue-roof system is based on a watertight flat-roof https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/flat-roof/ but instead of the water settling on the surface, it actually drains through multiple layers which controls and regulates the speed that it is distributed down drain pipes.
The top layer may be artificial grass or look like the surface of an all-weather football pitch, but that surface is actually designed to be porous. The rainwater seeps through this top layer into an inbuilt drainage and filtration system, which slows down the flow of the water.
Once the water has filtered through each level it is sent to the drain pipe. The speed that the water is dispersed is now much more manageable for the sewers to cope with and the risk of flooding is vastly reduced.
Any roofing starts with the original roof blanket - or mat - this needs to be of a high quality to ensure the whole system is durable. Professional roofing installers that are experts when it comes to eco specification designs will know the correct materials to use.
The blue roof system is incredibly popular anywhere that is prone to flash flooding such as close to a freshwater source. Images of canals and rivers bursting their banks and destroying whole towns and villages have become all too common, and it’s places like this that would benefit most from a blue-roof system.
By controlling the water runoff, the drainage systems have got the time they need to take away the excess water without being overloaded. This has the knock-on effect of canals and rivers not having to cope with the rainwater the sewers can’t cope with so they stay at sustainable levels.
Blue-roof drainage system suppliers should talk you through the process, explaining what each layer does and why it is so effective.
Refurbishment of an existing flat roofing system might be a great place to start if you are considering installing a blue-roof, so speak to your blue-roof drainage supplier to see whether they think your property is suitable.
Blue roof construction has transformed the effectiveness of buildings to control the flow of excess rainfall. Buildings such as;
Schools
Office blocks
Distribution centres
Retail units have seen how valuable a blue-roof system can be.
There are good points and bad points like every other type of roofing but the good ones far outweigh the bad.
Pros
Flood prevention - this is a massive plus point. The ability to control sewer overflow and stop potential disasters cannot be understated.
Temperature control - a blue-roof can keep a building cool, therefore reducing the heating costs significantly
Cost effective -cheaper than green roofs and most other forms of flat-roof
Recycling - the water that is collected on the roofing can be used in things like water features and fountains
Low maintenance - little to no maintenance is required as they are pretty much self-sustaining
Cons
Leaks - the obvious one. If the roof is not 100% watertight then leaks can cause significant damage.
Heavy load - a large body of water is heavy, so you need to make sure that your building can handle this extra load-bearing weight. Reinforcement may be costly
Standing water - can attract insects
The materials used in a blue-roof top are SUDS compliant. The Sustainable Urban Drainage System is a standard that new materials must conform to where drainage is required.
They will usually have some form of resin surface with a porous base, which means that any surface water will filter through the top layer and disperse in a controlled manner through the bottom.
If you are researching rooftop SUDS materials near me and need more information, you should contact your local roof fitter. The chances are there will be a physical example that they can show you nearby to give you a greater understanding of what is involved.
If you wish to find out about funding https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/funding/ which we can offer for roofs, please get in touch.
Green Roof Systems - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/green-roof/
Brown Roof Specialists - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/brown-roof/
Biodiverse Roof Installers - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/biodiverse-roof/
Sedum Roof Experts - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/sedum-roof/
Podium Landscaping - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/podium-landscape/
Flat Roofing Systems - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/flat-roof/
Rooflight Company - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/rooflights/
Roof Grants - https://www.roofingsystems.org.uk/funding/
If you would like more information on the installation of a blue roof make certain to contact us now. Simply fill in our contact form with your details and we will get back to you as soon as possible.