Warranty
Determining vegetative green roof warranty coverage can be complicated. Some providers will just sell plants to you and walk away, or tell you to get a warranty on your own. In order to choose the correct level of coverage for your project you need to understand what’s available. They may go by many names, but in general there are four types of vegetative green roof warranty coverage offered by the industry today:
- “Materials and Workmanship” or “Component Only” – This type of warranty typically only covers various vegetative green roof system components such as plastic trays, metal edging, etc., against defects or flaws for a set period of time after delivery. Limited short-term vegetation performance may also be included in this type of warranty to ensure that a healthy stand of plants was present at delivery and during the installation process.
- “Vegetation Coverage” – This type of warranty will ensure that a specified level of vegetation and foliage cover is present on the system at specified time intervals such as at time of delivery, 1 year, 2 years, etc. Ongoing maintenance and care programs are often required to maintain these warranties.
- “Overburden Removal” – This type of warranty allows for removal and replacement of the vegetative green roof system in the event that roof leaks occur and repairs are needed underlying the vegetative green roof system. In the absence of this type of warranty coverage, the building owner would be responsible for labor and costs associated with removal and replacement of the vegetative green roof, even if the waterproofing system repairs were covered by a separate warranty.
- “Full-System” or “Wraparound” – This type of warranty typically combines various attributes of the previous three warranty types into single-source coverage by guaranteeing vegetative green roof materials, plant coverage performance, overburden removal/replacement, and the waterproofing system under one umbrella warranty. These are typically offered by roofing system manufacturers.
Choosing the right warranty coverage for your vegetative green roof is one of the most important steps in the design process. At GreenGrid, we make it very easy for you to research and choose the level that works best for you. From using your own in-house grounds service personnel to fully outsourced maintenance and care, GreenGrid has a warranty option to fit your specific needs.
Remember that a vegetative green roof is a highly engineered living system, and living systems need care and maintenance. The concept is really no different than for other complicated systems or machinery. Routine care and maintenance is critical and must be performed to ensure long-term viability and performance. It is unreasonable to expect long-term health and performance after your vegetative green roof is installed, yet do absolutely nothing in terms of care and maintenance.