Firestone introduces sustainable, innovative vegetative roof system
In November 2010, Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, introduced SkyScape, an innovative new vegetative roof system featuring a patented, double-interlocking tray design. A lowmaintenance, high-performance solution, SkyScape provides an insulating
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layer that makes building heating and cooling more efficient, protects roofing material from UV and heat stress degradation, and extends the service life of the underlying roof system. To complement the SkyScape system, Firestone also added SkyPaver composite roof pavers and SkyDrain drainage mats to its green product portfolio. In addition to the direct benefits the SkyScape system provides to the building structure, it also has a number of high-impact, environmental advantages, including: improved storm water management; enhanced air quality resulting from the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen; and decreased ambient air temperature, which in turn helps reduce heat island effect. “Building owners seeking ways to conserve energy, meet green building standards and transform their rooftops into beautifully landscaped environments have a number of options to choose from with Firestone’s new
SkyScape vegetative roof system,” says Riaz Hasan, accessories marketing manager for Firestone Building Products. “With multiple system configurations and choices in vegetation, along with the SkyPaver roof paver system and SkyDrain drainage mats, this new vegetative system and its related accessories make it easy to create a sustainable, environmentally responsible roof for a greener tomorrow.” Available in a modular tray or multilayered system, SkyScape is designed to promote healthy plant growth, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing rooftop environment. Both designs feature a protective root barrier; drainage and filtration layers; a water retention reservoir for storm water metering; growing media; and the plants themselves. SkyScape can also accommodate an irrigation system, if desired. A draught-tolerant, fire-safe, non-invasive mix of flowering, local and native plants is recommended for use with SkyScape. Plants can be installed from pre-plant-
