Can I walk on my green roof?

One of the biggest misconceptions about green roofs is that you can’t walk on them — but this simply isn’t true. For extensive green roofs, accessing the roof for maintenance and general care is absolutely fine. However, as tempting as it may be during the summer months, placing garden furniture on the roof is not advisable, as it could damage the plants.

Conversely, for intensive green roofs, garden furniture may be acceptable in appropriate areas, as these roof types are often designed with this use in mind. When carrying out checks on your roof, it’s very important to prioritize safety. The most important considerations are ensuring you have safe access (such as stable ladders) and avoiding maintenance during gale-force winds or on excessively slippery surfaces — it might seem like common sense, but these mistakes happen more often than you'd think!

At Sedum Green Roof, our unique mix of plant varieties is partially designed with load-bearing in mind. Within our mix, we include 3–4 mat-forming species that act as a living blanket across the roof, helping to cushion and distribute the weight of a person. Furthermore, when the roof is in full bloom, it’s okay to walk on it — the flower heads are resilient and will bounce back to their normal form once maintenance is complete.

In addition, the trays we supply are specifically engineered to support these loads, giving you peace of mind that your roof meets durability expectations.