Build your own green roof

Eco-friendly roofs are being championed as an affordable option for new build homes in Britain.

According to Alisa Pemberton, writing for the New Consumer website, there are two main types of so called ''green'' or living roofs, both of which could have a number of positive environmental effects such as absorbing pollutants and increasing biodiversity.

Ms Pemberton distinguished between intensive and extensive roofs; the former incorporates trees and food crops on a building plot while the latter use materials made from turf or moss.

Maddy Harland, editor of Permaculture Magazine, advised that such roofs could be created by using carpet to protect an inner membrane, with drought-tolerant plants such as sedum and alpines placed over the top.

Ms Harland also extolled the cost-effective virtues of the roofs, claiming that they were cheaper than conventional tar and bitumen ones, potentially allowing for investment in further eco-friendly home features such as solar hot water panels.

The government was urged to make green roof technology more financially viable in self-build homes.

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