Construction managers overseeing domestic and
commercial projects incorporating green roofs are being reminded to plan
especially carefully over the coming months to best manage supply chain
issues created by Brexit.
Many of the roll-out green roof systems popular in the UK are European imports
of sedum and wildflower blankets and rely upon delivery within a set timeframe
to ensure the sedum arrives in a suitable condition for the roof to
establish successfully. However high levels of freight traffic in ports,
compliance with new import regulations and border disruption could delay
deliveries, creating issues in the supply chain and potential delays on-site.
“Maintaining close contact with your green roof supplier or manufacturer will
be critical over the coming months for two reasons,” said Julian Thurbin,
Director of UK grower and system supplier Wallbarn. “Firstly, the sedum
element of roll-out green roofs is usually delivered to site on a ‘just in
time’ basis because the plants are delicate and should not, we believe, be
left rolled up for longer than 72 hours. If the blankets are held up at borders
it could impact their long-term performance and create delays on-site.
Clients therefore need to know how their supplier is managing the situation and
the plans in place to ensure on-time deliveries.
“Secondly, many British producers such as ourselves are already seeing higher
than normal levels of enquiries from specifiers and purchasing departments
looking to secure a home-grown green roof supply through the first quarter
of 2021 and onwards. We don’t foresee demand outstripping supply but we are
advising customers to plan well ahead. They should also keep dialogue open
and frequent with their chosen supplier especially for larger projects or where
timescales are particularly critical,” added Julian.
Green roofs are a buoyant sector of the construction industry and bring huge
benefits to environments they are installed into, encouraging and supporting
pollinators and wildlife, controlling stormwater run-off, regulating city
centre temperatures, improving air quality and being great to look at. Research
has confirmed they also prolong the life of flat roofs, making them an
environmentally friendly, long-lasting roofing solution.
Wallbarn pioneered the M-Tray modular green roof system which contains all
elements of a roll-out green roof within a portable tray that can be hand
lifted into position on-site. M-Tray sedum and wildflower plants are grown
in Hampshire and Wallbarn endeavours to source all elements of the system as
locally as possible to maintain a low environmental footprint.
