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October 20, 2007
Green Roof
We designed and made a very simple green roof over 1/2 of our roof this summer. I was holding off on posting about it here until it takes off next Spring and looks more presentable, but you can get a pretty good idea of what it will look like already. It consists of individual modules with growing media and plants. This design is actually quite similar to what's also available commercially. I wanted to be able to move it if the roof needed fixing. We planted several species of sedum and nonsedum natives, the majority grown in a nursery specifically for green roofs. We also have planted chives and thyme for the kitchen and portulaca already growing in our backyard. Our top floor bedroom, with an uninsulated tar roof over it, no longer sizzles in the summer heat. Greenroofs arer supposed to also more than double the roof's life and insulate the roof in the winter. We've also noticed that butterflies and strange-looking grasshoppers seem to like sedum flowers!
The UK has several government websites that actually encourage homeowners to build their own green roofs, and provide simple recipes.
E:mail yash7@aol.com or post below.
Also check out the below link for several businesses that will retrofit greenroofs:
http://www.greenroofplants.com/green_roof_links.htm#Businesses
Here are the pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15516153@N02/sets/72157602554347016/
Comments
That is NOT a true green roof. That's a bunch of rocks, dirt and plants in a plastic tub. That probably cost you $2,000 total. Green roofs are integral parts of the roof.
Posted by: guest at October 20, 2007 11:28 AM
Poster 11:28 AM what about " we designed and made a simple green roof" didn't you get?
Go have a dish of boiled prunes, you sound out of sorts...
Why be so darn rude... not everything has to cost a fortune either...
It will look lovely next Summer, and the OP
has already appreciated lower temps in their
top floor bedroom as a result of their ingenuity.
Posted by: bren at October 20, 2007 2:03 PM
OP here: If you look at some of the commercially available modular roofs, you will see that they are very similar. They use very similar recycled plastic containers. I used Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregates (LECA aka Grorocks which is what are used in greenroofs in the UK, and which is a very light and porous medium that allows fast drainage and prevents the roof from becoming heavy and waterlogged) as one of the growing media. I have used neither rocks, nor soil/ topsoil. And the plants were ordered from a nursery that sells only green roof plants. I consulted with their staff about my design and they thought it would work fine.
Also, check out below and also look at the pics of some of the residential projecs on this site and you will see what I mean:
http://www.greengridroofs.com/system/features.htm
Of course, if you want to pay for secret formula 'propietary growth media' , etc. that are nothing more than a mix of potting soil and perlite sold for high prices, then you can I suppose. I find that my roof functions as a green roof, integral or not.
Posted by: guest at October 20, 2007 2:18 PM
The roof looks great.
I've always had a question about a green roof. How does the water get off the roof? I don't mean to sound simplistic, but where does the excess water travel once the soil is saturated? Does the water travel along the tarred roof to the gutter?
Thanks.
GT
Posted by: gt at October 20, 2007 4:52 PM
"That probably cost you $2,000 total."
umm, what's your point?
it's working for them. are you upset that you spent a lot more money?
Posted by: guest at October 20, 2007 4:52 PM
GT: You are right. That's exactly how the water travels. Which is why it is important that the roof drain properly otherwise it can get waterlogged killing the plants and becoming too heavy for the structure. That's why the 'soil' must drain well (hence the use of porous media) and if you are not using modules, then a drainage layer (looks like a lattice in the form of egg cartons) is very important.
In my roof, the trays are perforated and the media really do not hold much water since the particle sizes are quite large. Sedums do not have a problem with that, since they are used to hot and arid conditions.
Check out the link below although my roof is really much more pared down to the essentials.
http://www.thegreenroofcentre.co.uk/pages/DIY%20Leaflet.pdf
Btw, there are also greenpaks available that are nothing more than small sacks which you can place directly on the roof membrane and have plants growing out of. Cheap and easy to install.
Posted by: guest at October 20, 2007 5:13 PM
Thanks 5:13 for the explanation.
I also found the answers to my question at this website:
http://www.ssbx.org/greenroofs.html
The website, for those who are interested, is for an organization that creates green roofs in the Bronx, and shows photos of all the steps involved in creating a green roof.
Very interestiing.
GT
Posted by: gt at October 20, 2007 5:24 PM
Also check here:
http://www.livingroofs.org/livingpages/greenroofsdomestic.html
Posted by: guest at October 20, 2007 5:32 PM
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: guest at October 20, 2007 9:46 PM
Thanks for sharing, I'm in the planning stage of doing a 'green roof'...
question and admittedly it may be silly, can you walk on this green grid after it's planted? I would like to use my roof as if it was a small park and recline on the ground... crazy????
Any info would be helpful...
By the way regardless of the price your roof looks good.
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 4:59 AM
OP here: If you do an extensive sedum green roof ('soil' depth < 3 inches), you cannot really treat it as a lawn. I do walk on mine for weeding/ maintenance, but that's only for a second.
There are roof lawns available, but the maintenance can be high because of watering needs on a hot and dry roof. With sedums, there is really no watering once established except when there's summer drought.
However, you can use your extensive roof as a small garden if you like, if you keep some space free of plants and put decking or pavers (rubber ones are available) and put your chair on that. This year I have often just gone up and sat down on the roof admiring the different shades of the sedum leaves and their flowers. The wildlife is also substantial: bees, birds, squirrels (trying to bury their nuts in this season, which is a little bit of a pain), and butterflies.
Also the sedums provide three-four season interest. It's also SO much cooler up there on summer mornings and evenings.
Please let me know if I can be of help with your roof.
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 7:28 AM
Here's a simple DIY kit. $10-15/ sq. ft.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1608983,00.html
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 7:32 AM
It is a nice project and every green roof counts! Sure modular systems are not "real" green roofs - they are planters with all the advantages and disadvantages of so called mobile green. An In-Place system or wall-to-wall system actually offers all the advantages of green roofs. In the late 70ties and early 80ties there were modular systems available in Germany, too. Today they have less than ½ % market share on at least 75 square miles of green roofs - 4 to 5 square miles new green roofs every year and people learned that in-place greenroofs are more efficient, cheaper and safer. Why using recycled boxes when you don't need them at all? Regards Jorg - helping the US to catch up with green roofs.
check: www.greenroofservice.com
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 8:08 AM
In place green roofs are cheaper?
What do you do when the roof needs to be redone or leaks?
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 9:04 AM
Thanks so much for posting this! I've been considering this also and it's great to hear of an actual experience. I know some about commercially installed green roofs, but seeing a DIY job makes me salivate.
Would like to get more details. Any chance you can email me (address on the cmu link)?
Posted by: cmu at October 21, 2007 10:09 AM
No problem, cmu. Would be happy to give you details and even show you the roof. Only can't access your e-mail. E-mail me at yash7@aol.com
Like your website.
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 10:40 AM
Also try this Red Hook based company
http://www.newyorkcitygreenroof.com/
Posted by: guest at October 21, 2007 11:58 PM
what distinguishes this from a "real" green roof? From a practical perspective, it seems the same to me.
Posted by: slick at October 22, 2007 3:03 AM
Yeshwant was kind enough to write up the whole process for me to post on my blog.
Thanks, Yeshwant!
http://reclaimedhome.com/?p=415
Posted by: rh at October 22, 2007 6:54 AM
Very ingenious, practical, affordable approach to greening the roof. Thanks for posting it.
Posted by: Espresso at October 22, 2007 9:28 AM
Wow! The DIY 'This Old House' kit, at $10 to $15 per sq. foot = $12,000 or so for an average brownstone roof! That seems so expensive to me.
Yes, there are tons of great reasons to do this but for me, this falls into the same bucket as solar panels … great idea but with such a high price tag, more of an "eco-luxury" item than a practical alternative.
I'll stick to compact florescent bulbs for now and other low-cost / high-impact measures until all these technologies get cheaper.
Posted by: Mr Joist at October 22, 2007 11:50 AM
this is extremely cool. i would love to install one of these next spring and see if i can get away without air conditioning in the summer.
Posted by: geekspice at October 22, 2007 4:29 PM
OP here: Geekspice, check out the post below for the costs and the recipe.
http://reclaimedhome.com/?p=415
Posted by: guest at October 22, 2007 4:51 PM
I got the GreenGrid pricelist recently, and thought that it was closer to $6 to $7/sq foot for materials. I'm thinking about doing it in the spring. Has anyone had a structural engineer evaluate their roof before putting a lot of weight up there? (i.e. green roof, deck or AC unit)
Posted by: Heatherie at October 24, 2007 9:54 AM
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