Books Reviews

Small Green Roofs – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Dec 12, 2011, 16:12 GMT

Until now, the green roof movement has been limited to large-scale, professional endeavors and public buildings. But homeowners everywhere are catching onto the benefits of a green roof-water conservation, energy savings, and storm water management. In Small Green Roofs authors Dunnett, Gedge, Little, and Snodgrass profile ordinary homeowners who scaled green roofs down to the domestic level. Small Green Roofs is the first book to focus ...more

With so many environmental problems pressing on the world around us, green roofs are a simple answer to a lot of issues.  They can help prevent water loss, reduce the risk of flooding and reduce heat loss. 

In built up areas within towns and cities, green roofs can play an important role in bringing nature back and reducing temperature build up during the summer periods. 

This is a book which is designed to show ordinary home owners what can be done to green up garages, bicycle shelters, car ports, home extensions and even sheds.  A general introduction is followed by forty two case studies which provide inspiration and information on how to attempt the construction of a small green roof.

The case studies are dominated by examples from the UK and North America - it would have been helpful to show green roofs in use elsewhere under different climatic conditions.