seattleDIRT

[REPOST from A Fresh Squeeze - Seattle]

Green Walls
Keeping You Cool All Around

With energy costs rising and the threat of global warming looming, everyone is looking for ways to cut energy use, reduce their environmental footprint and still maintain their standard of living. A green roof uses a living layer of plants to keep a building well insulated and provide green space for urban wildlife. A good example of this is the Ballard Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Recently, a new green innovation has been becoming popular: green walls.

Green walls are very similar to green roofs in that they are a layer of living plants that have been built into the walls of new buildings, or added to existing ones to improve looks, environmental footprint and building maintenance costs. The difference between the green roofs and walls is just a matter of direction.

“We estimate that the temperature behind the green wall will be reduced, in the summer, by roughly 10 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Chad Sichello, President of G-Sky, a company that installs green walls.

Green walls are generally modular in nature, and consist of a metal framework where square panels are attached. The panels consist of smaller blocks of specially formulated soil with irrigation lines that keep the soil moist. Green walls can support a variety of plants and can be purchased with pre-grown plants or as blank panels. It’s even possible to use green walls to grow a garden on the side of your house.

If you’re looking to install a green wall on your own, Green Living Technologies sell these prefab green wall components. Companies such as G-Sky can also install custom interior or exterior green wall to your specifications.

If you are interested in green building or finding a contractor that specializes in green building, you’ll want to check out the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild or Built Green. Both of these organizations promote environmentally building practices.

It’s not the direction of growth that matters–it’s all in the color.

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