How does your rooftop grow?

Yes, the roof on the St. Jospeh's Curious Kids' Museum Discovery Zone is sprouting. It's intentional.

With an $80,000 donation from Sam and Connie Monte, of Riverside, the green roof was installed and will be maintained for free for two years by Clifford's Perennial and Vine Inc., of Paw Paw.

Ken Clifford, owner of the Paw Paw landscape firm, says the project offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of a green roof.
 
One benefit of a green roof is it helps with water run off. Instead of water running directly into the drain as much as 2 inches of otherwise waste rain water can be retained by a green roof. "This is our best, cleanest water and it's being wasted when it goes down the drain," Clifford says.

Plants growing on the roof give off oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, which is beneficial in fighting the green house gas effect.

Further, green roofs have a lower temperature than other roofs. In an urban setting, that means they contribute less heat to the environment. That also contributes to the longevity of the roof, which can be compromised when heating and cooling destroys the roof membrane materials.

When the roof it ready to be replaced there is no roofing tiles sent off to the landfill.

And the number one benefit, as far as Clifford is concerned is its visual aesthetics and the fact the landscape possibilities are endless. "They're wonderful for people to look at."

For those concerned about how it all works, Clifford says his company did tests to find out the heaviest the roofing could be if saturated with water for 24 hours. Those number were given to the engineers who built enough strength into the building to hold it.

Improved air quality, water clarity, beauty and an opportunity to teach youngsters about the plant kingdom were reasons enough for Clifford to decide to be part of the project.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Ken Clifford, Clifford's Perennial and Vine