Classic Bike Shed
Compact and ideal for front gardens
Green Roofs
Living green roofs are the very essence of a Brighton Bike Shed.
We fit them on over half of the bike sheds we install.
Mini Eco-system
We developed our green roofs to be a mini eco-system, adding colour, visual appeal
and a habitat for pollinators.
As a bike shed only needs to be 1.4m high, these living roofs are the perfect height for viewing, enjoying and watering (occasionally!).
Perfect Protection
Green roofs and bike sheds are the perfect combination. The living layer protects the waterproofing layer from freeze-thaw and solar UV, both of which make a normal roof deteriorate over time. The green roof soaks up the rain while the bikes inside stay dry. A green roof also provides a beautiful little bio-habitat, which adds a wonderful green dimension to any urban landscape.
Alpine Origins
We use rolls of pre-grown sedum, which is a hardy alpine with a mix of 12-14 species, and most of these flower. The maintenance of sedum is very minimal once the roof is established and largely entails watering for the first 2-3 weeks to prevent the turf drying out. From then on just give your green roof the odd soak in long periods of drought.
Designed to Flourish
A properly installed green roof will really flourish. We use a specialist substrate laid to a depth of 50mm and a drainage layer which is lightweight. This all sits on an EPDM rubber liner and filter fleece. The substrate is held in place with a timber retaining strip and any excess water discharges into a gutter/drainpipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can I have a wildflower roof instead of sedum?
We can increase the substrate depth to 100mm, to allow for wildflower roof mats. In order to achieve this we have to increase the loading capacity of the shed, as this adds a lot of weight. Also we need to increase the retaining elements and fascia heights. We usually quote to switch from sedum to wildflower case by case, so please make an enquiry if you would prefer a wildflower roof.
We think sedum is a better solution for our sheds as it only grows to a maximum of 150-180mm in the summer, whereas wildflower can grow much taller (up to 450-500mm in summer) and we think this is disproportionate to the scale of the shed. Also, wildflower roofs tend to brown off in summer after flowering, and never fully recover until spring. Sedum flowers in summer and new growth follows and it looks green all year around. It is much easier to maintain than wildflower.
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Do your sedum living green roofs require maintenance and what type of plants do they include?
Once established the sedum has the advantage of requiring very little maintenance. It does not need fertilising and only needs one cut in the autumn. If the installation coincides with a hot dry spell it will need watering each evening for 2-3 weeks, while the plants get established. After this, the roof will be virtually maintenance free. In dry periods, the roof will turn red or yellow but will return to green.
With a sedum roof the types of flower emerging will vary from year to year depending on temperature, moisture and available nutrients, which provides you with a constantly changing, natural landscape. If windblown grasses, weeds or small seedlings land on your roof these can be picked out easily to give the sedum the best possible chance to establish and thrive.
If the sedum roof is shaded by overhanging branches and there is an opportunity to prune these to allow more light to the sedum then we would recommend doing so. If the site is fully shaded or north facing we recommend our felt roof rather than sedum.
Slot-in Bike Shed
Roll your bikes in and out
Vertical Bike Shed
Hang your bikes vertically side by side