The popularity of the different types of roofs in Toronto has increased manifold in recent times. The demand for these roofs, like the demand for any other building material, is due to their ability to conserve energy, to beautify a location and to provide protection from weather elements. It is in these circumstances that the importance of the roofs in Toronto becomes clear. The roofs in Toronto can help in meeting all these needs.
Green roofs in Toronto have been in vogue for the past several decades. In the late 1960’s, Toronto became the first Canadian city to adopt a municipal bylaw to regulate and require the construction of environmentally friendly green roofs on residential properties. The Green Roof Bylaw established a progressive grade based green roof construction standard for new construction or additions which are over 2,500 square feet in size. This provision was later incorporated into the City Building Regulations as a Municipal Bylaw. A major portion of the regulations pertains to the use of asbestos. The Toronto Green Roof Bylaw effectively prohibits the use of asbestos in the construction of any residential or non-residential structure.
The other significant development in the area related to the green roofs in Toronto is the introduction of a cool roof. This is a roofing type, which allows for the retention of heat in the summer months and absorbs cooling air during the winter months. The cool roof in Toronto also helps in preserving the temperature of the soil for a considerable length of time. The most popular cool roofs in Toronto are the ones which come with the help of pre-installed drainage systems. This helps in reducing the rate at which water accumulates on the roofs in Toronto.
There are numerous types of roofing materials available for the purpose of residential and commercial construction in the city of Toronto. While the residential building industry has evolved by leaps and bounds due to the incorporation of more efficient technology, the design standards and implementation of some of these technologies are yet to be utilized in Toronto. The installation of roofs in Toronto requires a careful selection of the materials and their varying levels of exposure during different seasons. The city hall has established certain guidelines which help in prescribing the level of exposure which various materials should withstand in order to be classified as green roofs in Toronto.
The Green Roofs Act of 1992 makes it mandatory for all buildings which comprise of ten or more rooms to install special coatings made from one of the approved materials. These coatings help in maintaining the climatic conditions and air quality within the premises of the buildings. The presence of air quality standards on the roofs in Toronto is important in preserving the environmental balance of the air. The introduction of this bylaw into the civil codes of the city facilitates the building industry with the regulation of its products and the use of certain materials. It is hoped that with these developments the incidence of roof related accidents will be minimized.
Another component of the Green Roofs Act is the creation of a Cool Roof initiative, under the auspices of the Eco roofs initiative, which helps in protecting the earth’s ecosystems. In order to attain this, the Cool Roof project was introduced. The project commenced with the installation of a solar heating system on a commercial building in Toronto. This led to the creation of the eco-friendly roofing materials which are being used presently in Toronto.
The Eco-roof incentive program seeks to create and preserve a certain habitat on the roof surfaces of commercial establishments. This can be achieved by creating “green spaces”, which are defined as areas in which plant life has flourished and where there is adequate flow of air. According to the definition, an urban heat island is an area on the roof surface which is characterized by a vegetated or partially vegetated roof surface and has sufficient open space. The provision of a green space on roofs can be achieved by the installation of a certain number of trees, shrubs, and gardens in such a way that they are able to regenerate and provide additional nutrients for the vegetation.
The Toronto climate is very hot and humid, which accounts for the high utilization of thermal energy. The green roofs in Toronto to help in reducing the amount of thermal energy required by the establishments. The availability of natural light also provides a boost to the aesthetics of the commercial buildings.
