Protect and extend the life of your waterproof coat with DAKU

In the era of climate change, where extreme weather phenomena  such as hail are increasingly frequent, the protection and  durability of waterproofing membranes are of crucial importance.

A green roof acts as a shield, defending your building  from UV rays, violent weather events, chemical aggression and  thermal fluctuations.

Under green roofing, the expected useful life of a waterproofing membrane is about 50 years.

Damage factors of waterproofing membranes include:

• UV exposure: which degrades plasticizers, reducing the flexibility of the waterproofing membrane.
• Violent weather events: storms, wind, rain, hail can damage the surface of the membrane.
• Chemical aggression: exposure to chemicals, especially those concentrated in stale water, can compromise the integrity of the membrane.
• Thermal fluctuations: temperature changes, reaching as high as 80 degrees delta in a year for a black asphalt sheathing, cause expansion and contraction, which can lead to cracking and structural damage.

The average lifespan of exposed waterproofing membranes is about 15 to 18 years, depending on the specific conditions and degree of maintenance. Below hanging green this time interval is extended to 50 years.

A green roof represents a wise investment in the  preservation of waterproofing membranes since it makes it possible to avoid at least two resurfacings during the 50-year useful life of the green roof: at years 10, 20, 30 and 40 in the case of a very poor quality waterproofing membrane that has a 10-year life span and at years 20 and 40 for a good quality membrane that has a 20-year life span.

This economic saving is particularly evident when it comes to waterproofing that is below a photovoltaic system. Since the operational life of the system is longer than that of the waterproofing, it is very likely that modules will have to be removed to replace the waterproofing, an action, however, that can damage many modules and decrease the yield of the system (the PV module loses much of its mechanical strength after the first decade).

With a green roof between waterproofing membrane and PV system, the eventuality of re-roofing is postponed to more than twice the lifetime of a PV system (25 years). What's more, the green roof also increases the performance of the system by cooling it through the transpiration of vegetation.