There is no such thing as a no-maintenance vegetated roof.

Hydrotech highly recommends that a maintenance contract be in place on all vegetated roofs. Maintenance is critical during the establishment period to help ensure the long term success of a project.

The amount of maintenance needed on vegetated roofs taper down as the plant material becomes more established and mature. Vegetated roofs cannot perform as intended without maintenance.

Aside from the thrive and coverage warranty that Hydrotech can provide if we supply the vegetation, there are additional reasons Hydrotech strongly recommends maintenance. Below are key points that need to be considered.

• Vegetated roofs are a significant investment. Maintenance is a relatively small cost to protect this investment.
• Keeping a watchful eye on the roof will maximize plant health, maintain the aesthetics of the roof, and ensure any systems such as drains, parapets, vegetation free zones and irrigation systems are performing as designed.
• Healthy plants transpire water which is an essential function on vegetative roofs to manage stormwater, keep the roof cool and help mitigate the urban heat island effect.
• If the vegetative roof is not maintained invasive weeds can take over a roof. This not only can lead to an unsightly roof but the specified plant material could completely die out and be taken over by invasive species. Some invasive species have aggressive root systems which could potentially compromise the waterproofing membrane.

Please contact Hydrotech's Garden Roof Department for additonal information about best maintenance practices.