There is so much grey in a big city like Frankfurt. The following picture surely knows many of you: You look out of the window and all you see is a paved yard and a dreary garage roof. Boring, isn't it? But now imagine if the yard was full of plants and flowerbeds and the garage roof was greened and blooming beautifully. Not only would it be pleasing to the eye, but it would also be good for the city climate.
When it comes to beautifying the home environment, garage roofs in particular are often overlooked. Yet it's no magic trick to turn a garage roof into a little biotope. The prerequisite is that the roof can bear some additional weight, i.e. that the statics permit an increase of 70 to 150 kilograms. If the surface is already covered with gravel, a conversion is usually possible without any problems.
And the good news is: you get half of the costs reimbursed by the funding program "Frankfurt frischt auf" of the city. This pays off, because the greening of a garage roof costs between 2500 to 5000 euros, depending on the size. An investment that pays off. Because greened roofs, backyards and facades not only look pretty, they also contribute to improving the climate in the living environment.
And this is how it works: Interested parties first find out from a landscaping or roofing company what options are available for greening your roof. Is the garage roof waterproofing intact? Is a second, root-proof waterproofing layer needed? A filter layer is then placed on top of the waterproofing and any additional protective layers, followed by the actual roof substrate, which is quite different from regular garden soil due to improved storage capabilities and lighter weight.
Plant herbs and sedum species. They are up to the extreme location and can tolerate short periods of drought. If the summer turns out to be long and hot, additional watering is possible. But the plants usually regenerate themselves at the first rain in autumn.
The care of the roof is simple: a walk-through once or twice a year is sufficient. Here it is necessary to remove extraneous vegetation, clean the drains and remove vegetation from the gravel strip at the edge of the roof, which is necessary for fire protection reasons. Fertilizing is optional, the lawn mower can stay in the shed.
If the static is sufficient, you can even turn the roof into a real garden! For more advice, visit https://frankfurt.de/de-de/themen/klima-und-energie/stadtklima/klimabonus and http://www.gebaeudegruen.info/
