In April we posted a press release for our friends at Moss Acres announcing the installation of the first residential moss roof project. Click here for the press release.
Since moss has so many advantages, it is being considered as a great solution to a shaded roof. Moss is lightweight, drought tolerant and spreads quickly. We asked Moss Acres to give us photos of the first residential project and/or any updates on the April installation as we are eager to learn from this project and share the outcomes.
According to Nancy Church at Moss Acres, all is going well. The team at Moss Acres will keep us up to date as the moss gets acclimated. We received photos from the Moss Acres team depicting the actual install, along with progress photos of the growing moss. Since pictures are worth a 1,000 words, please review and enjoy the process and team work here! Click here to view the .pdf of the “Sample Moss Green Roof Specifications.” If you are contemplating a moss roof project, please contact Nancy Church at Moss Acres (nancy@mossacres.com), for more information.
To connect directly to the Moss Acres progress photos, visit the Moss Acres Picasa album, entitled: Moss Green Roof Installation – Click here.
Invitation to MOSS Green Roof Installation, New Hope, PA – Sunday, April 11, 2010
First US residential installation of Moss Green Roof
(Philadelphia) – Moss Acres announces the first full-scale, residential installation of a green roof using only moss as the vegetation. On Sunday, April 11, Moss Acres, with direction and installation help from Charlie Miller of Roofscapes, Inc., in Philadelphia, will install a residential green roof at the home of moss visionary and local moss guru, Dave Benner, in New Hope, PA. Benner’s roof will now complement his garden, which is covered only in moss and other shade-loving plants.
Many consider moss the “original” green roof plant for its tendency to grow on shingles in shady areas. This installation, however, will utilize and demonstrate the professional approach to building a green roof, including the use of a waterproofing membrane, a moisture-retention layer, growing medium, and moss as the vegetation. Moss is an especially desirable plant component and has many advantages for green roofs:
-Is lightweight
-Retains 10 times its weight in water
-Thrives in shade produced by building shadows
-Is drought tolerant once established
-Grows rapidly — 3 to 6 months for full coverage
Spring House Green Roof at Moss Acres location - Pre-ground Hypnum moss fragments knitting together and into engineered roofing aggregate just two months after “inoculation”.
And, since moss has no roots, constructing a green roof using moss also requires less growing medium.
Media is invited to the event. Please RSVP to Nancy Church at nancy@mossacres.com, or 484-580-9890, and include your name, address, title, and publication name.
Location: 6974 Upper York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Click here for Press Release – Moss Green Roof Installation
Green Wall Technology
Although most of us do not think of moss when we think of traditional roof garden plants, maybe you should if you have the right conditions. Every day someone sends me an email or reaches out to me about their project and I learn something new.
Today my eyes were opened by Heidi Masucci, Operations Manager at Moss Acres. Moss Acres is experimenting with moss and rooftop applications. It is proving to be a worthwhile experiment so far. Of course, the use of moss is for mostly shady locations. The good news is for buildings that live in the shade of other buildings. Also, what I was surprised about was the fact that once established it is drought tolerant.
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