The revolutionary, ultra-lightweight green roof solution
Now, green roofs can grow nearly everywhere!
Made from locally recycled materials
Created and patented by The Gaia Institute
 
What Are Green Roofs?
Green roofs are attractive, living, vegetated roofs.
They provide a wide range of potential benefits to property owners, including:
  1. •Private green space
  2. •Reduced heating and cooling costs
  3. •Longer roof life
  4. •Increased property value
 
Additionally, green roofs provide many important environmental benefits:
  1. •Reduced Urban Heat Island Effect (cooler summers)
  2. •Reduced stormwater runoff (cleaner rivers, healthier fish)
  3. •Reduced air pollution (fewer respiratory ailments)
  4. •Increased biodiversity (more birds and butterflies)
 
Biomimicry
The Gaia Institute possesses a deep understanding of how soils work and what makes them productive.  Patented GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs emulates and enhances essential properties of high-quality, natural soil, including water retention, nutrient delivery, capillary action, and drainage.
 
Ultra-Lightweight and Eco-Friendly
The main ingredient in GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs is non-toxic recycled expanded polystyrene foam coated with an organic pectin, and mixed with high-quality finished compost.  The Gaia Institute’s proprietary, patented process makes GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs almost 50% lighter than any other green roof growing medium.
 
This ultra-lightweight nature gives GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs significant advantages:
  1. •Structural support of roof usually needs no additional reinforcement
  2. •More diverse plant selection possibilities for greater biodiversity
  3. •More stormwater capture made possible by greater soil depth allowances
  4. •Easier to transport to site and move in case of maintenance
 
Water Retention
GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs retains an incredible 200% of its weight in water, easily capturing the majority of stormwater.
  1. •Dry Weight 10 lbs per cubic foot
  2. •Saturated Weight 30 lbs per cubic foot
 
What About Wind?
With any appreciable water content, the surface tension of water holds vegetated GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs in place, even under substantial wind loads. GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs maintains the same strong footing as wet sand on a beach.
 
LEED® Certification    
GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs can significantly contribute many credits on green building projects seeking LEED® Certification, including stormwater control and heat island reduction.
 
Plant Suggestions
GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs is an ideal growing medium for all types of vegetation, from shrubs to sedums to wildflowers.  We especially recommend a diverse selection of native plants, which not only possess distinct aesthetic and environmental benefits, but also attract more birds and butterflies.
 
GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs Projects
We manufacture GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs at Hitsman Farm, a family farm in nearby Dutchess County, NY.  We can supply GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs for projects of all shapes and sizes and in a variety of forms—from super-sacks to pre-planted modular trays.
 
GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs can also be used for potted plants on the ground, and in some instances, as an eco-friendly replacement for peat moss.
 
For More Information
For more information on GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs, please visit www.GaiaSoil.com or contact us at GaiaSoil@GaiaInstituteNY.org.
 
GaiaSoil™ for Green Roofs is a social venture of The Gaia Institute.
For more information on other initiatives of The Gaia Institute, please visit www.GaiaInstituteNY.org.
The Gaia Institute
440 City Island Ave.
City Island, The Bronx, NY 10464