Green Walls - What Are They and What do They Cost?

We Break it Down in this Article

The term “Green Wall” often gets used for a number of different products and can be a little confusing. In this article, we will describe the most common green wall types and their differences. Finally, we will finish up with a grid that shows the lists of the features and uses of each.

The obvious meaning for a green wall is literally a wall painted green. However, many people also use this term to describe walls covered in greenery. The confusion comes because there are a number of different types of Green Walls. We teach you about each Green Wall type below.

Primary Types of Green Walls

Living Plant Walls

Living plant walls are also often called green walls as they were the first type of green wall created. Living Walls are a structure that holds smaller plants on a vertical wall that generally has an integral irrigation system included in it.

There are a number of different live wall systems available, some of the popular ones being the tray system (brands like: G-Sky, Next Gen, and Live Wall), hydroponic systems (brands like Naava), and the POD Living Wall System which is the system that here at Green Oasis have found to be the most effective.

Click Here to learn how the POD System works.

Preserved Moss Walls

More recent to the green wall scene is the moss wall. While there are some companies that offer live moss walls, the most popular by far are preserved moss walls. Because it is very difficult to get the humidity and light right to grow live moss indoors without causing mold and other problems – preserved moss is a great option.

Preserved moss is created by submerging live moss in a natural solution to stabilize the moss so that it is no longer living. This means the moss no longer has a need for light and moisture. The moss is then dyed, generally to its natural colors. Once this process is complete, the preserved moss can be put on a wall and will need no maintenance.

Because preserved moss is a natural product it has variations and inconsistencies just like nature and this is what people love. This allows you to create stunningly realistic green walls. If you are planning a green wall indoors this is a good option, unfortunately they do not work outdoors as they break down from direct UV rays and weather.

Artificial Plant Walls

As the name implies, these are green walls created from artificial plants. The benefits of these are that they can be used indoors or outdoors and have no maintenance or light requirements. While cheaper artificial walls can look “plasticky” or fake, there are some artificial plant walls that look quite realistic.

The most cost-effective artificial green walls are premade panels that are imported from areas of the world with lower-cost labor. Green Oasis can also build custom walls in our production shop, or we can adapt these premade panels to get the design intent expected.

In conclusion, when people use the term green wall they generally mean one of the three types above. Green Oasis has been creating variations of these green walls for many years. Our team of skilled craftsmen has the ability to create custom options to help designers get the look they need to create a unique space.

Green Wall Features

Feature	Living Green Walls	Preserved Moss Walls	Artificial Plant Wall
Est Cost/ Square Foot	$110 – 200/ Sq Ft	$65-120/ Sq Ft	$45 – $125/ Sq Ft
Indoor Use	✓	✓	✓
Outdoors Use	✓		✓
Maintenance Free		✓	✓
Absorb VOC’s/ Produce Oxygen	✓✓
Natural Product	✓✓	✓
Contribute to Well Building	✓
Contribute to LEED	✓
Absorb Noise	✓	✓✓	✓
Reduce Heat Island Effect	✓
Improve Biodiversity	✓✓
Meet Green Area Ratio requirements	✓✓

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