What You Need To Know About Artificial Grass Rooftop Installation

A green roof is an effective way to enhance the value of your property. It is attractive, helps provide insulation, and creates another living space for the building. However, creating a living roof can be quite expensive and labor intensive to maintain, so an artificial grass rooftop installation can give you similar beauty without all the maintenance. An artificial grass lawn is soft and green in appearance, just like real grass. It has also become increasingly popular to install on apartment and office buildings. Below are the factors you need to know before you decide to put artificial grass on your rooftop.

Your Roof’s Load Limit Matters

Let’s get an important question out of the way first. Can your roof take the weight of the entire artificial grass rooftop installation? Artificial grass on your rooftop may seem light, but it does have some weight to it. This weight includes that of the turf, infill, and possibly turf padding. The load for an artificial grass rooftop installation also varies due to the type of artificial grass you choose.

So first, calculate the square footage of your roof and ask us about the weight of the synthetic turf plus infill, before checking to see if your roof will be able to handle it or not.

How Is the Drainage on Your Roof?

While your artificial grass rooftop turf will not need watering, you will still have to worry about water. Primarily, how will you get rid of rainwater? If you are facing any mild drainage issues, installing artificial turf without fixing it first will only make the issue worse. Because underneath or even over the plastic, any amount of water stuck will amass a lot of mold and mildew very quickly. So, it’s really important to test the roof’s ability to drain water before installing an artificial grass rooftop.

In addition, your roof might also have a TPO roofing membrane, which is a great base for an artificial grass rooftop installation. TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) single-ply membrane roofing is a popular commercial roofing material that is white and highly reflective. It also keeps buildings dry and lasts for a long time. Since it is not super attractive looking, adding synthetic turf on top can give your roof a beautiful look as long as there is proper drainage.

Be Aware of Fire Hazards

This is a question you should be asking yourself when you install anything new in or around your home. A lot of people like to grill or BBQ in their backyards or gardens, but you should be cautious when doing so around artificial turf.

Artificial grass should not be directly underneath fire pits or grills, because sparks or embers can cause the turf to catch on fire. Create a designated space where the floor is not covered with artificial turf to place your grill. Concrete or brick are great options. So, if you have a grill or fire pit on your rooftop, you must make some adjustments and check out this fire pit safety post for more tips.

DIY Artificial Grass Rooftop Installations Can Be Hard At Times

Another question to ask yourself is if you are up to installing an artificial grass rooftop yourself. You can check out our guide and turf catalog to get started today! But you will need some level of skills to maneuver around all the factors and any potential issues mentioned above.

It may be best to hire a contractor for your artificial grass rooftop installation. Feel free to give us a call for next best steps in this process. DIY is not for everyone, and calling in experts is often the best decision for your home’s longevity. That said, installing artificial grass on your rooftop can quickly add an additional layer of fun to any building.