Green Roof Installation Details

Project Title: Ellsworth Elementary School

Location: Ellsworth, Maine

Size: 10,000 sq ft

Planting Method: Extensive System/Plugs(learn more)

Installation Date : Spring 2010

Press Release

May 12, 2010 Ellsworth, Maine. Apex Green Roofs, Inc. recently installed a 10,000 square foot green roof at the new Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School in Ellsworth, Maine.

To fit within the required budget, Apex Green Roofs, Inc. and Zinco USA designed a streamlined green roof system which will simultaneously function as an amenity for the school and benefit the environment. The roof is planted with 11 varieties of Sedum, all specially chosen to thrive in the harsh environment of a rooftop: Sedum acre 'Golden Carpet', Sedum album 'Green Ice', Sedum divergens, Sedum floriferum 'Weihenstephaner Gold', Sedum rupestre, Sedum rupestre 'Angelina', Sedum rupestre 'Green Spruce', Sedum sichotense, Sedum spurium 'Fuldaglut', Sedum spurium 'John Creech', and Sedum spurium 'Summer Glory'. Plants were spread as cuttings, dramatically reducing the labor needed to complete a green roof installation. Apex Green Roofs, Inc. provided a temporary battery-powered irrigation system that will provide the new cuttings with water while they grow roots and establish. After this initial establishment period, the green roof will not require any irrigation. Instead, all the water the plants need will come from natural rainfall. The plants are expected to fill in within the coming year--some species will even continue to grow throughout the cold New England winter!

 

The architect for this building is from Oak Point Associates and the General Contractor is JCN Construction. The green roof is a Zinco sedum carpet 4" system. In addition to the green roof, the new school building has many other green features, including a geothermal heating system. Firestone TPO waterproofing was installed and flood tested before the green roof was installed. The first layer of the vegetated system is a protection fabric, followed by a moisture retention layer. A sheet drain wicks away excess water. Above this, a separation fabric prevents growing media from clogging the drainage layer. Above the drainage layer is 2.5" of engineered growing media (consistent with FLL standards). In contrast to soil used in ground-level landscaping, the engineered growing media is lightweight, provides good drainage, has a very low organic content, and will not become compacted. These qualities maximize the health of the plants and minimize nutrient runoff into the surrounding environment. Along the roof perimeter is a four foot wide buffer of river stones.

 

The roof is only accessible for maintenance visits, but it will be visible from several classrooms. Throughout the year, students and teachers can watch a dazzling showcase of colors, as the leaves change in color from green to vibrant shades of yellow, gold, and red. In addition, the green roof will reduce the volume of stormwater runoff by 183,000 gallons per year and provide a cooling effect in the summer. Apex Green Roofs, Inc. will perform regular maintenance visits during the first two years to ensure the success of the green roof system.