Which greening concept is best suited? Whilst the quick results make a case for “wall-mounted greenery”, traditional “ground-level greenery” scores highly for its low cost. The figures below will help you make an early decision!
“No support required” (self-climbing)
Investment costs:
€10–50/m²
Maintenance costs:
€5–50 per m² per year
“With a trellis”
Investment costs:
€100–250 per m²
Maintenance costs:
€5–50 per square metre per year
“Shelving systems”
Investment costs:
€450–1,500 per m²
Maintenance costs:
No figures available
“Living walls”
Investment costs:
€450–1,500 per m²
Maintenance costs:
€20–150 per m² per year
The following costs are listed below, but vary significantly depending on the height of the greenery and the size of the green area:
Not included are the costs for concrete or steel brackets, pergolas, maintenance walkways, safety nets for maintenance staff, plant rooms, pipework and penetrations (fire safety). All these costs can play an additional role, particularly in the case of wall-mounted green facades.
Wall-mounted greenery is usually incorporated straight away into the standard maintenance schedule, which involves 2–3 maintenance visits per year. Watering is not necessary here due to the automatic irrigation system, but pruning, shaping and replacing dead plants are required.
In-ground greening, on the other hand, initially requires ‘establishment care’, which mainly consists of regular watering. This is followed by “maturation maintenance”, which extends over several years, or more precisely until the desired height or greening objective has been achieved. This involves watering, tying up and pruning, and, where necessary, the construction of a geometric branch structure, as with fruit trellises.
The main factors determining the cost of maintenance are the number of maintenance visits required, as well as the use of additional resources such as ladders, aerial work platforms, lifting platforms, road barriers, etc.
An ambitious ‘shelf-style’ greening scheme had been planned here! Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough money, so it fell victim to budget cuts. The same goes for the cubic dormers on the roof. A non-profit housing association simply does not have sufficient financial reserves to absorb price increases. To avoid such situations, it is worth weighing up the various greening concepts at an early stage. This requires knowing the “price tags” (see above), both in terms of investment costs and annual maintenance costs.
It is important to know the costs for anyone looking for a professional façade greening solution – that is, an ‘all-inclusive’ package covering plants, planting, trellises, installation and maintenance. The highest tier of this is the “all-inclusive package”, where the client never has to lift a finger regarding their greening. This is a special case of particularly high quality and is primarily found at the upper end of the respective price range.
While “ground-based greenery” is actually quite affordable, costs rise significantly if plants are chosen that require a support structure. An irrigation system is another major cost factor, though this is almost always included with “wall-mounted greenery”. Insulated walls, very small green roofs or particularly vigorous plants that require robust support structures can also drive up the cost per square metre. Furthermore, difficulties on site (e.g. time pressure and limited space) often result in a significant increase in installation costs.
Fassadengrün is a commercial supplier of stainless steel wire rope systems in Germany, Europe and overseas. Information about: Which plants are suitable, are climbing aids necessary, should they be made of wood or metal? Here at FassadenGrün you will find all the information you need from a single source.
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