Greenroofs.comConnecting the Planet + Living Architecture
Hi, I’m George Irwin, a contributing editor here on Greenroofs.com – The Green Wall Editor. I write the occassional Green Walls Column, and as promised I will convert and dedicate most of my personal blog thoughts from a prior blog site to Sky Gardens…..One thing I do not care about when Im writing is the grammar or spelling mistakes I make when Im spilling my thoughts, so if you’re reading this blog and want to comment on my mistakes….too bad:)
I think free writing is important not to be interrupted by the conscious thought of making mistakes, it takes away the creativity of transferring the thoughts to writing. The same holds true with new research and products introduced to the market. Dont be afraid to make mistakes, take chances and like Nike “Just do it”. You will make mistakes…..So there is the inspiration for my first post.
The second part of the post is our Green Living Technologies Green Living Newsletter, not associated with Greenroofs.com but I thought you might be interested in my personal business, too. This month we have some very cool changes…yes change is good…for both our green roof and green wall systems. We are also charging the way into Central America, Honduras to be exact. Im hoping to bring you into my thoughts and also provide a combination of education, stimulated thinking and comments…..as always I make myself available for contact via email at the greenwalleditor@greenroofs.com.
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Green Living TM Technologies and THE GREEN LIVING NEWS
Current September Issue:
I want to welcome the new subscribers to our newsletter! Lots to talk about this month! Our dedication is to improving our products making sure they are both affordable and functional. This month we are proud to release our Roof Tray system that was designed to retain stormwater.
New Product Launch: Green LivingTM Roof Tray
Rochester NY…. Green Living TM Technologies announces the release of its advanced patent pending Green Living TM Roof Tray with water retention. The heavy gauge aluminum soon to be zinc Green Living TM Roof Tray was developed as a simplified way to install a basic green roof. The original Green Living TM Roof Modular System requires a higher level of installation skills and green roof know how. The Roof Tray has a price point similar to the cost of the original modular system but the installation labor cost is half. It’s easier to transport and can be pre-vegetated or filled and planted on the roof. “This is a great product for clients who have the ability to lift and place the trays on almost any flat or minimally sloped roof without hiring a green roof contractor.” The Green Living TM Roof Tray comes complete with a hydro-blanket that also acts as a filter. The system was designed for stormwater retention. The trays measure 20″ x 24″ (3.5 square feet) and come in standard 4″, 6″, 8″ and 12″ depths. The 4″ depth can retain up to 4.35 gallons of stormwater and still provide unlimited drainage through the large .25 drain holes within the sides of the tray. Just like the Green Living TM Roof Modular System once the tray reaches saturation the stormwater flows to the roof and into the designated drains. With embossed feet, to allow the tray to sit off the roof for air and water flow and built in handles for easy transport and carrying, two people can install a complete 1000 square foot roof in less than a day! Even fully saturated, we still maintain 15 +/- pounds per square foot.
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Change is Good! for the Green Living TM Wall
With all good companies product improvement and development is a high priority. After additional R&D we have made some key changes to the Green Living TM Wall. Before we announce the changes let us make note the corner panel is now part of the standard Green LivingTM Wall System. The first change is the safety hem on the outer edges of the wall panel structure. Second is the two part assembly that led to removing any torque. The result is a green wall panel that is easier and safer to handle. With our patented cell technology we still retain the unlimited drainage and root migration within the panels themselves and unlike plastic components the Green Living TM Wall will not warp or crack with the expansion and contraction of heat and cold. Also now available in standard increments of 6 inches and custom manufacturing, powder coating and laser engraving are always available.
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Green Living TM Wall Featured on Dream Home w/ Lisa Quinn on October 4th, 2008
Green LivingTM Technologies and the Green Living TM Wall was featured in one of the San Francisco area’s Dream Home episode. Join us as we work with Lisa Quinn, co-host Alexandrea Schardt and GLT’s George Irwin on how easy it is to dress up an otherwise drab wall by planting and installing a 2 – panel Green LivingTM Wall system with manual irrigation.
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Green Living TM Technologies in Honduras
Green Living TM Technologies Breaks ground with Angela Stassano of Techos Verdes and her partner Lazarus & Lazarus in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. October 13th we will be in Honduras with Angela to establish the installation of the Green LivingTM Systems. In addition the location will also serve as a continuing education and eventually a growing facility. Congratulations to Techos Verdes and Lazarus & Lazarus. I will have more pictures and in depth coverage for our next newsletter!
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Green Living TM Technologies reps and installer Michael and Angela Bucci, G-Space Philadelphia, showcase the Green Living Wall
Green Living TM Technologies’ Philadelphia-based and authorized representative / installer G-Space (Not to be confused with another “G” company) displays one of their latest Green LivingTM Wall projects on the exterior of the refurbished Vorhees Coliseum, home of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul. Great job to Michael and Angela Bucci and the entire G-Space staff!
I can be reached via email also at George@agreenroof.com. If you like our Green Living TM Technologies and THE GREEN LIVING NEWS newsletter and want to receive it directly, register for email updates.
That’s it for now, look for my next Green Walls Column soon!
George Irwin, The Green Wall Editor on Greenroofs.com and President and CEO of Green Living Technologies, LLC (GLT).
Effie Abrahamsen
Please forward all information you have on green roofs and walls.
Thank You.
Effie Abrahamsen, President
National Building Contractrors, Inc.
2151 Old Covington HIghway
Conyers GA 30012
patrick
so about living roofs, can you tell me if TPO is a good choice for a base or will the glue kill the plants?
Tom Boyce
George, I love your green wall concept. Do you have any installations on highrise buildings?
As I note on my blog (http://planterblog.com/blog/), the higher the building, the greater proportion the walls are of the mass acting as a heat sink in porportion to the roof.
If we can get the thousands of highrise condos along the coast to implement green walls, and not just roofs, then we can greatly reduce the impact of these heat islands.
With the planter systems that we build (http://www.deepstreamdesigns.com), we are endeavoring to make it easy for individuals to cool at least part of the part of the building they control, their balconies and roof decks.
One other question: have you had to deal with the Florida building codes relating to wind testing and certification? We have very strict wind lift engineering problems to overcome on roof tops down here.
I would love to use your Green Living Roof Tray on my roof deck and look forward to reading your next column.
GeorgeIrwin
Patrick,
I can only assume that you being in the roofing industry could elaborate for us, for the population TPO (ThermoPlastic Olefin) is primarily polypropylene and polyethylene with rubber…its a little more technical than that. Unlike chemically fastened seams, the TPO seams are heat welded creating a very strong bond between sheets. Ideally a fully adhered roofing system is done with an adhesive between the insulation and the bottom of the membrane. From our experience and literature the manufacturers of TPO claim the materials to be resistant to chemical breakdown. In the industry TPO is an acceptable waterproofing under a vegetated roof. There are other options in fact we are working with a spray on monolithic application that we can offer our clients a 30 year warranty with no dollar amount limits on the labor for the warranty, this is with our green roof systems on top with no protection fabric. Thanks Patrick I hope you can elaborate for us on the TPO.