Green, red, blue or yellow: design your roof in a climate-friendly way with these smart tips | MyGuide

Embuild Flanders, together with Buildwise, recently launched a protocol to encourage the use of flat roofs, specifically to meet the climate challenge. The key is to turn them into climate roofs that combine up to four different roofs in one. We go over them below.

1. A green roof
“To begin with, such a roof with green vegetation has a positive effect on biodiversity,” explains Marc Dillen. “In addition, a green roof helps to reduce the heat island effect in the city, the phenomenon whereby the average temperature in urban areas is higher.”

read more: This type of green roof requires little to no maintenance.

2. A red roof
You may now be wondering: good, but what use is such a climate roof for me as a consumer? “If you live in the city and do not have your own garden, you can of course also turn that green roof into a so-called red roof: extra (recreational) living space, with a terrace or sports field, for example. If you organize a red roof on a large apartment building, residents meet each other more and you strengthen social cohesion. Or you build tiny houses, small residential units.”

3. A blue roof
“This allows you to recover rainwater, which you then buffer locally,” continues Marc Dillen. “You can buffer rainwater in your own rain tank or well, but in the city, where we live close together, this is more difficult. You buffer better collectively there. If possible, also make it a green roof, with many woody plants and shrubs. They absorb the water on site.”

4. A yellow roof
“You then place solar panels on top – hence yellow, like the sun – to generate part of the energy you need yourself. This reduces your CO2 emissions and your energy bill. It is best to make every green roof a yellow roof with solar panels, if that is possible.” Solar panels yield more on a green roof because it is less warm in the summer.

From a quality inverter to a reliable contractor: this is how you choose the best quote for solar panels.

“If you want to install a green, red, blue or yellow roof, or a combination thereof, you must be sure that the building and the roof offer sufficient stability. Because as you add functionalities, the weight increases. Construction-wise, the roof must therefore be perfectly constructed and finished.”

“Exactly what capacity is required is closely related to your ambitions,” explains Marc Dillen. “For example, the more water you want to collect, the more woody plants and trees you prefer to plant, the thicker the substrate must be and the greater the load. With a substrate layer of 20 cm, the maximum load quickly amounts to a few hundred kilos per square meter.”

Go for a weatherproof garden: these plant species promote sponge action.

How much it costs to install a green roof varies depending on the type. You should count on 60 to 250 euros per m². “In my opinion, more decisive are the costs of giving the roof structure sufficient load-bearing capacity and stability, making the roof accessible and safe to walk on, and maintaining it (for life).”

“Benefits for climate roofs – and especially green roofs – are mainly found at local level. For example, in Ghent and Antwerp you can obtain subsidies for green roofs and stability research.” The Livios Premium Linker will help you on your way in this search.

Read more on Livios.be:

Renovating a flat roof? You should pay attention to this

Do-it-yourself job: re-insulate your sloping roof from the outside

How do you remove moss on your roof tiles?

This article was written by our partner Livios.be, an expert site that focuses on construction and renovation.

Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!

Log in or create an account and never miss anything from the stars.

Yes, I want free unlimited access