Commercial Green Roof Contractors in Central PA

Green roofing systems are a sustainable way to dissipate heat and reduce temperatures on the roof’s surface. They help mitigate the heat island effect, which is very common on concrete structures like buildings and infrastructure. While they may incur higher costs than traditional roofs, the benefits far outweigh the initial investment cost.

Kautz Construction is a trustworthy single-source green roof contractor for properties in Central Pennsylvania. Discover ways to elevate your space with commercial green roof systems.

Comprehensive Green Roofing Services From Kautz Construction

Kautz Construction has been in the commercial roofing business for 40+ years and has been installing vegetative roof systems since 2013. Our green roofing division is run by Gordon Kautz II, an Accredited Green Roof Professional as recognized by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the most esteemed green roof organization in North America. Gordon is also the co-founder of the Lancaster Urban Farming Initiative and has consulted on, designed and provided cost estimates on multiple rooftop farms and vegetable gardens.

Our extensive experience in all types of conventional roof systems, as well as green roof systems, allows us to provide services and insight that few others can match.

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Green Roofing Consulting and Design Services

There are many great green roof designers, suppliers and manufacturers that can provide a vegetative roof design for your building. However, too often the green roof is designed as a separate entity from the conventional roof underneath, which can cause a multitude of issues for the roofing contractor, green roof installer and architect/engineer, both during construction and years after installation. Special attention needs to be paid to make sure that the conventional membrane roof and the green roof material are compatible and function as intended.

A few questions to ask before you embark on a green roofing project are:

• What type of conventional roof membrane (PVC, TPO, EPDM) and from what manufacturer? Should the membrane be fully adhered, or would heat-welded seams work better? Does the insulation have the compressive strength to handle the weight of the green roof? Do you need to add a cover board between the insulation and the membrane?
• Does the conventional roof membrane manufacturer’s warranty allow for covered assemblies such as green roofs? If so, do they only allow green roof products of their own or only from a specific list of manufacturers?
• If the roof leaks, who is responsible for removing and reinstalling the green roof materials? Does the manufacturer offer an Overburden Warranty to cover this cost?

Single-Source Installation of Green Roofs and Conventional Roof Systems

A typical green roof installation often involves a roofing contractor installing the conventional roof system and a landscaping contractor installing the vegetative roof. Unlike other green roof installers, we handle both systems with our own employees. Many times this set up works great, but what happens if there is a leak in the roof after the green roof is installed? Often you get two contractors pointing fingers at each other, and the owner gets stuck with the bill. We will install both roof systems with our employees, from the roof deck under the conventional roof all the way to the plants on the green roof; everything will also be under warranty. So if you have any problem whatsoever, you have only one number to call. Single-source contractor responsibility allows us to offer peace of mind to all of our customers.

To make your green roof even more sustainable, we can help you add solar power. We consider solar power one of our specialties, and we can install a new system at the same time we set up your green roof. Solar power saves energy costs and provides an excellent return on investment.

Vegetative Roof Systems Offer the Greenest Roofing Option Available

Green Roofs, also known as Vegetative Roofs, are roofing systems consisting of a waterproofing membrane, growing medium (soil), and vegetation (plants), layered over top of a conventional flat or sloped roof system.  They often include additional layers such as root barriers, filter cloths, and drainage and irrigation systems.

Properly designed, installed and maintained green roofs have many environmental, economic, social and aesthetic benefits. It is vital that a green roof is designed specifically around these four factors, the unique characteristics of the building and the conventional roof system underneath.

Green Roof Types to Choose From

There are two main green roof types that are suitable for installation in commercial buildings, private residences and industrial facilities:

• Extensive green roofs: An extensive green roof offers a simple setup with hardy plants. It typically needs a growing medium depth of about 3-6 inches. Typical plants used for these roofs can thrive in harsh environments. The roofs are also cost-effective and require minimal structural support and maintenance.
• Intensive green roofs: These roof gardens involve complex landscaping work and often include shrubs, grasses and non-native vegetation. Due to the system’s weight, they require more structural support and more intensive upkeep.

Kautz Construction has a team of roofing experts who can install either of these two types and tailor them to your specifications. You can also integrate your green roofing with solar systems for next-level sustainability and energy efficiency.

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The Benefits of Vegetative Roof Systems

Vegetative roofing systems are an environmentally friendly option that enhances the look of your roof while also making it sustainable. This green roofing solution offers many benefits to property owners, such as:

• Aesthetics: Green roofs use nature to add beauty and value to buildings. They also provide a habitat for plants and animals, such as birds and insects, and increase biodiversity. The plants add color to dull spaces and turn them into vibrant areas that help enhance a building’s appeal and contribute to the cityscape’s aesthetics.
• Roof longevity: Green roofs can last two to three times longer than conventional roof systems because they protect the underlying roof materials from mechanical damage, punctures, and ultraviolet rays, and act as a buffer from seasonal temperature variations.
• Energy savings: Green roofs reduce your building’s energy use by cooling roofs and providing thermal mass and insulation, lowering cooling and heating costs. The plants also help cool the surrounding air and your property’s surface by releasing water through their leaves (evapotranspiration), which can contribute to energy savings.
• Stormwater management: In many urban and suburban areas, impermeable surfaces (streets, sidewalks, rooftops, etc) dominate the landscape, preventing rainwater from being absorbed into the ground. The resulting excess runoff runs into sewer systems, stressing water treatment systems, causing flooding or sweeping pollutants into local bodies of water and damaging water quality. Green roofs can reduce the volume of water runoff and delay peak flow, giving the infrastructure more time to absorb the runoff.
• Functionality: Your vegetative roof area can be used as a functional space when designed in conjunction with a roof deck or walkway paver system. It could also be designed to be a rooftop vegetable garden or even an open-air roof farm or park.

Why Choose Kautz Construction for Green Roof Installation?

Kautz Construction is the trusted roofing contractor of property owners and managers in Central, PA. We provide roofing installation, repair and replacement services for commercial and residential properties and offer top-quality products from leading manufacturers. Customers come to us for quality roofing solutions because of our:

• Industry experience: We have over 50 years of industry experience and expertise in delivering reliable roofing services to customers. Our local presence ensures faster response times and familiarity with local building codes and compliance standards.
• Turnkey project management: We provide comprehensive roofing solutions to customers for quicker project completion. We’ll handle every aspect of the job, from consultation to installation and handover.
• Commitment to quality and sustainability: We have a team of skilled professionals who are certified and experienced in green roof systems. Our services prioritize features such as efficient irrigation systems and stormwater management to reduce environmental impact.
• Local Experts: Our commercial roof coating services cover Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Carlisle, and the surrounding Central PA region. Located right in Lancaster, PA, we are your local roofing experts.

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