Roof Top Sedums proves going 'green' can be economical and beautiful
Springfield , IL / July 19th, 2011 - Cattle and hogs aren't the only animals being watched at the Illinois Department of Agriculture these days. Employees at the State's Department of Agriculture building have been following the progress of three families of Killdeer that have nested in the 20,000 square foot green roof that was installed June 15, 2010. These fledglings are showing the w or ld just one of the many benefits of a green roof.
The Department of Agriculture building is one of the largest projects to date grown by Roof Top Sedums of Davenport, whose portfolio includes prototype projects in tornado-devastated Greensburg , KS , a town that is arising from the rubble of one of the worst episodes of tornado destruction in recent memory. Greensburg is re-inventing itself as a laboratory for green construction methods. The LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System grown by Roof Top Sedums, LLC covers both Greensburg 's Kiowa County Commons and the Silo Eco-house, one of the world's first buildings designed to be tornado resistant. The LiveRoof® System is also featured on the roof of West Des Moines Historic City Hall at Valley Junction and Iowa City's new East Side Recycling Center which shares a building with Habitat for Humanity's Re-Store resale shop. Additionally, hospital patients at Genesis Medical Center at East Rusholme in Davenport have been enjoying a lush view of more than 42 varieties of sedum and allium plants that now cover the center portion of the facility's rooftop. Each project saw a green roof as a beautiful way to save money and improve their environment.
In addition to providing a habitat in the midst of crowded cities, green roofs provide natural heat and sound insulation to buildings. Green roofs extend the life of roofing materials by protecting them from the extreme variations in temperatures and photo degradation. Green roofs reduce the 'heat island' effect in cities and reduce storm water run-off and reduce carbon dioxide in the environment. While some green roof systems can take many years to establish, the LiveRoof® System grown by Roof Top Sedums of Davenport, IA allowed certified LiveRoof® installers to quickly convert a barren rooftop into a lush mix of well-established, custom-grown sedum ground cover plants. "LiveRoof® not only adds beauty to the project, it is extremely efficient and low-maintenance. It enhances the environment, wherever it is," said Roxanne Nagel, General Manager of Roof Top Sedums.
Besides using well-established plants grown in soil specially engineered for the extremes of a rooftop environment, the LiveRoof® System also features a patent-pending hybrid design that combines the best features of all green roof systems. The LiveRoof® System creates tremendous savings on maintenance costs because the 95% fully-vegetated modules have mature plants that act as their own living mulch.
Roof Top Sedums is a Regional LiveRoof® Licensed Grower servicing Iowa, Western Illinois, Eastern Nebraska, Eastern Kansas, and most of Missouri and has been in business since 2007. The business is 100% women-owned and certified nationally as a Women's Business Enterprise as well as an Iowa Targeted Small Business. Co-founder Teresa Nelson explains, "We have had tremendous success in the past four years and are excited about the reputation and attention our company is getting as our business grows." For more information on projects previously grown by Roof Top Sedums or information about the LiveRoof® System, visit www.rooftopsedums.com and follow the link to www.liveroof.com.
###