ROOFLITE BLOG

Helping you select the right soil for your green roof project

Posted in Blog, landscape architect, Possibility on November 6, 2018

You may think of rooflite as a green roof soil provider, and we are, but we’re also here to help landscape architects and design professionals create any kind of green roof project they can dream up. Our soil is a tool, and we can help you figure out what’s possible – using our products for your project.

Choosing the right rooflite soil for your project is a bit more complex than you may realize, but we are here to help you every step of the way. In the more than 10 years that we’ve been engineering soil for green roofs, we’ve developed a process to make sure we identify all the project details that may affect the soil selection, delivery, and installation for your green roof.

We work closely with you to make sure we have a great handle on all your project requirements and details:

  • Picking the right product: This seems simpler than it actually is. We like to understand if anything has been specified for the project yet, what plants will be included, and the depth needed. We also want to make sure that whatever rooflite soil product you use is compatible with everything else you’re planning for your green roof.
  • Understanding product weights: This is another area that is a little more complex than it seems. We need to understand any weight limits related to your project – all our products are lightweight, but there are varying weights we can provide to meet your roof and project requirements. We also need to understand weight limits related to assembly of the green roof, which may affect the soil installation.
  • Ordering the right volume: Your specific plan, including plants and design, for your green roof will determine the volume you need. In addition, you need to order enough soil to compensate for compaction, which occurs during transportation, installation, and when soil is exposed to the elements. We are experts on compaction, and we will ensure that you order the right amount based on products required and your project details.
  • Planning for logistics: Logistics are one of the trickier parts of green roof installations and one of the areas that we spend a lot of time to make sure we have a good plan for your project. Some of the things we want to understand: how are you getting it to the roof? Can you unload soil at the project site? Are there union requirements? How many hours a day are you working? Does someone need to be there when we deliver the soil? What kind of equipment will be on-site? There are so many potential things can affect how we plan to deliver your soil in a timely manner to meet your timeline and schedule, and we’ll work through each of them with you.
  • Shipping with the best method: Based on the details of your project site and timeline, we work with you to figure out the best way to ship our soil. Options are bulk, supersacks, retail bags, and we’ll make sure the method we use for shipping will meet your project, budget, and site requirements, including logistics.
  • Making communication a priority: Our goal with any green roof project is to make sure things go smoothly, and we are in touch with the various people involved in your project as much as necessary to keep the project moving.
  • Working with various stakeholders: Depending on the specifics of a project, we work with a wide variety of people to be sure we’re addressing any and all concerns on your behalf or in coordination with you. Examples include design professionals, general contractors, landscape architects, civil engineers, installers, and roofers, just to name a few.

The information we gather in each of these areas helps us recommend the right soil and delivery options for your project. Our goal is to be sure you have a thriving green roof long into the future.

If you’re new to rooflite, a great place to start with planning your green roof project is our rooflite calculator, which will give you a general idea of how much rooflite soil you will need based on your project details.

You may also want to specify our green roof media in your specification documents to be sure you have all the relevant details and information ready to go during the purchasing phase.

We’re the soil experts your team needs! Questions? Let’s talk about specifics for your green roof project.

 

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