Natural, eco-friendly roof options are becoming more popular as new technologies and research emerge that make them more accessible. The benefits of adding green cover, such as landscaping plants, moss, etc. reduce the “urban heat island” effect which intensifies and increases tempurature in cities. Traditional dark roofing can increase temperatures in and surrounding a building, causing everyone’s air conditioning bills to skyrocket in the summer months. Pumice, however, is a fantastic insulator that can be added to green roofs (or all on its own) to help combat these heat issues. There are many benefits to using pumice on a roof application:
Featherock Rooftop by Tamalpais Construction Co.
- Pumice is lightweight and can be used without causing structural issues on a roof.
- Pumice is a good insulator that will keep a building cool in the summer months and warm in the winter.
- Pumice can be moved with limited heavy equipment, which means getting rocks on the roof won’t break the budget.
- Pumice can be used in soil or green roof drainage layers to help offset water accumulation during rain.
- Pumice is an aesthetically pleasing replacement for fake rocks!
A big thanks to Justin Tupper at Tamalpais Construction Company for providing the above images.
