green roof substrates, planting substrates

A roof's greening must be designed for the long term with the right components and suitable vegetation. Essential prerequisites for a green roof are, on the one hand, the structural conditions and the weight of the planned greenery. While the additional burden of new buildings can be taken into account during construction, the load-bearing capacity of existing buildings must be checked by an expert. 

An essential distinction is made between intensive and extensive green roofs. Furthermore, there are also mixed forms of extensive and intensive green roofs.

• Extensive greening is a simple form of greening that requires little maintenance but has few possibilities for use. Such roofs are only stepped on for support.
• An intensive green roof stands for a green roof as in a garden. It means an increased expenditure for the green roof in terms of construction/creation and maintenance/use.
• Mixed forms are usually higher extensive green roofs with more plant species, but without larger plants. These green areas are also often only entered for maintenance.

Extensive greening is suitable as an ecological compensation area. Extensive greening is mainly used for roof areas that cannot be used. Because of these locations, undemanding plant species should be used, such as sedum plants.

iNTERBiMS GmbH offers various extensive roof substrates to choose from:

• extensive mineral substrate: interroof-mineral, 
• extensive mineral substrate light: interroof-mineral leicht, 
• extensive substrate: interroof-extensiv,
• extensive substrate light: interroof-extensiv leicht, 
• extensive substrate extra light: interroof-extensiv extra leicht

Intensive greening is comparable to typical gardens and green spaces. Therefore these green roofs correspond to a green oasis on the roof. Flat or only slightly inclined roofs are suitable for such greenery. Depending on the structural conditions, such a green roof offers a wide range of design options, such as lawns with perennials, shrubs, and trees. It is connected with an optimal use with a somewhat higher expenditure for the care, as it corresponds to a typical garden. 

iNTERBiMS GmbH offers various intensive roof substrates to choose from:

• intensive substrate: interroof-intensiv,
• intensive substrate light: interroof-intensiv leicht, 
• intensive substrate extra light: interroof-intensiv extra leicht, 
• intensive plant substrate: interground-intensiv,
• intensive plant substrate TG: interground-intensiv TG

iNTERBiMS roof substrates are based on natural volcanic raw materials such as pumice and lava and quality assured compost, which is environmentally friendly. Thanks to the open-pored structure, high treading and storage stability, high frost resistance, and the balanced ratio between water permeability and storage capacity, individual greening "par excellence" is fulfilled.

iNTERBiMS GmbH produces mineral / organic roof substrates for optimal roof greening. Thanks to the open-pored structure, high frost resistance, and the balanced ratio between water permeability and storage capacity, individual substrate requirements are fulfilled par excellence.

The following properties characterize INTERBIMS roof substrates:

• on a natural volcanic basis like pumice and lava
• good water storage capacity
• structurally stable
• load-bearing
• resistant to dislocation
• improved nutrient supply
• optimized root development
• more sterile than soil
• can be processed in all weathers
• optimal quality

A green roof adds an ecological and economic value to buildings and looks good too. A green roof with roof substrates offers many advantages:

• improvement of the local climate, ecological
  A green roof contributes significantly to the local environment's development, such as air cooling, regulation of humidity, dust formation, and rainwater storage. It also creates new valuable habitats for plants, the local fauna, and many endangered insect species. Also, dust and dirt particles are filtered out of the air.
  
• thermal insulation, heat storage, sound insulation
  Due to the building's thermal insulation and storage connected with the roof substrate, the temperatures in the building are improved. Besides, a green roof contributes to significantly improved sound insulation.
  
• lifetime
  A green roof protects against environmental and weather-related as well as mechanical damage. For example, a roof substrate protects against UV radiation and extreme temperatures, which accelerate the roof's material aging process. A professionally executed green roof, therefore, significantly increases the service life of the roof sealing. 
  
• economic
  A green roof and the plants on the roof provide further insulation, leading to reduced heat radiation with a corresponding saving effect in winter during the heating periods and in summer to a pleasant air conditioning of the rooms below. Due to the long service life of professionally constructed green roofs, subsequent renovation costs are also reduced. On average, roof substrates can absorb half of the rain. The water can then evaporate again. It relieves the sewage system. In many communities, this is rewarded with reduced sewage fees. Green roofs are also financially supported in many cities and serve as compensation areas. Green roofs can thus be credited towards the green areas defined in the development plan.
  
• indoor climate
  The evaporation of rainwater takes place continuously due to its storage capacity. In summer, this leads to cooling of the rooms below and contributes to a more pleasant indoor climate.
  
• appearance
  A green roof looks good and offers a variety of different optical attractions depending on the season. At the same time, the buildings are given a more attractive appearance. Especially in urban environments, additional green spaces can be created on the roofs and counteract surfaces' sealing by streets and pavements and buildings.
  

A green roof consists of different layers:

• First of all, the roof waterproofing must be protected against incompatibilities from root penetration. For this purpose, a so-called separating layer is used, which usually consists of a fleece.
• On top of this is the root penetration protection, which is laid using plastic sheeting. Care must be taken to ensure that the security is tight and sufficiently drawn over the edges to ensure that the roots cannot grow around the protective layer. For this purpose, gravel or crushed stone should be laid at the edges and, in the case of roof drains, to facilitate later maintenance. 
• A protective layer is laid over the root penetration protection to prevent mechanical, thermal, and possible chemical damage. Nonwovens and even drainage mats can be used here, which simultaneously take over the drainage function.
• The drainage layer is located above the protective layer. These materials must store the water and usually consist of pumice, lava, or gravel. These materials are weatherproof in the long term and can ensure water storage.
• A fleece is laid over the drainage layer to prevent the plant substrate above from being washed out. This filter layer should be rootable so that the roots can use the water from the drainage layer.
• The uppermost layer is the vegetation layer. In our roof substrates, this layer consists of pumice, lava, and zeolite. These ensure sufficient water storage and the supply of nutrients. Depending on the constructional conditions, there are various possibilities for intensive and extensive greening and the possible planting. We offer optimized roof substrate mixtures, which also take into account the local climatic conditions.

iNTERBiMS offers individual lawn substrates as well as their delivery to the construction site in all common delivery forms:

Other delivery forms on request.

All products are subject to quality control (external and internal monitoring) following the German FLL guidelines.

The FLL "Green Roof Guidelines - Guidelines for the Planning, Construction, and Maintenance of Green Roofs" were developed from the "Principles for Green Roofing" published in 1982 and revised several times since 1990. They are recognized as a benchmark set of guidelines for green roofs in Germany.