Lightweight alternatives to soil for rooftop deck planting

https://www.universalconstructionfoam.com/projects/planter-void-fill/
As rooftop patios and gardens become more popular and more elaborate, landscape designers are looking for the best lightweight alternatives to soil for rooftop deck planting. Weight needs to be saved in both the general landscaping areas as well as filling the many planters used in patio design.

In Greenwich, CT, roof top patios are a popular way to get out and enjoy warm and humid summers but with snowfall still an issue in the winter, managing roof landscaping loads is vital. With a recent project for a Universal Construction Foam client, the rooftop plan included a variety of large planters all around the edge of the deck.

The architects and landscapers soon saw the benefits of EPS geofoam for a number of reasons – primarily because EPS geofoam is 100 times lighter than soil. It is even much lighter than other lightweight fills such as shredded tires, pumice or woodchips. This saves weight in not only filling the planters but getting it onsite in the first place – easier to handle and move up to the top floor from ground floor level. As well as reducing landscaping weight, it can be easily shaped on site to create topography without adding extra weight to the final layers of material. And of course, the final structure will still be strong enough to support traffic and equipment due to the high compressive strength of EPS Geofoam.

For the rooftop patio project in Connecticut, in all 250 pieces EPS 15 Geofoam 6” x 48” x 96” were used. This lightweight void fill material was used to fill in the bottom of a variety of planters positioned around the rooftop deck. If you want help to make a landscaping project a success – saving weight, time and money – call Universal Foam Products now on 410-498-0000.

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