new living roof

sunspot · 08-19-15, 12:11 AM

I'm blessed with a wreck of a house that needs enough work to keep boredom away for several lifetimes. One project on the list is a roof over the entry door. Having experimented with a green roof on a woodshed and been pleased with the result we decided to make this entrance roof a living roof as well.

Up goes the framing:

Decked over with T&G fir:

Then 1/4" fir plywood:

And EDPM pond liner:

I wanted a drainage layer and had this plastic "rock guard" material so on it went. Rock guard is used to protect coatings on buried pipelines and I rescued some scraps from a bin a few years back intending to make use of it as an anti-fatigue mat in my workshop. I figure the roof is an equally noble cause.

Roxul 'comfortboard' is next. I'm curious how this will work out. It's a rock wool meant for external insulation (R6).

The final ingredient of our inorganic growing medium is rubber mulch shown here after planting up with Sedums.

This picture through a grimy window shows the layers of materials used. I'll be tieing in to this to continue the roof down the side of the house at a later date which is why the edge is unfinished.

I've still got posts to make up (the ones in use are temporary) and some detailing but I'm glad to have gotten this far. Crossing my fingers the Sedums take.

Greg

Daox · 08-19-15, 11:56 AM

Looks great Greg.

mechanic · 08-20-15, 12:41 AM

That rockguard is handly stuff! My brother pipelines so we use it for a ton of things... Any idea what the r value is on the living roof? I am going to have to build a livestock building before winter and I've always liked the idea...

mechanic · 08-20-15, 12:45 AM

I see your from the island so your probably familiar with the Goats on the Roof Cafe! This shelter I need to build is for goats as well, I think it would be a hAndy fit as it would give them a good look out too...

mechanic · 08-20-15, 12:46 AM

Is the synthetic medium the norm? Do you have to fertilize much then?

Higgy · 08-20-15, 09:01 AM

I've been to the Goats on the Roof Cafe. My sister lives in Courtenay so we've been there 2 or 3 times.

Do you put any soil up there? What do the plants grow from or use for nutrients? Or did you just use a planter and cover it?

sunspot · 08-20-15, 09:33 AM

"Any idea what the r value is on the living roof?"

I couldn't even guess what the r value would be. The comfortboard itself is R6. I imagine the r value will change dramatically once it gets wet as well.

"Is the synthetic medium the norm? Do you have to fertilize much then?"

From what I've read (a lot, all online) 10% organics seems to be the norm but many argue for less. Keep in mind we'd planned to plant with Sedums. Apparently these plants get all the nutrients they need from rainwater. Seems counter intuitive somehow, we'll see. We have some growing successfully at ground level in a bed of 3/4" drain rock and others growing in 100% wood chips so they're certainly not fussy.

"Do you put any soil up there? What do the plants grow from or use for nutrients? Or did you just use a planter and cover it?"

There's no soil and no planters. Until some roots develop a gust of wind could blow them off as they're just sitting on the rock wool with ~1" of rubber mulch butted up to them.

Note: I think goats would frown on this substrate :-)

barbara356 · 11-03-15, 02:10 AM

The idea is really great!

sunspot · 08-13-16, 10:03 PM

Thanks for the positive comment Dev. The roof has since been extended down the side of the house as well.

08-19-15, 12:11 AM	#1
sunspot Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Vancouver Island, BC Posts: 147 Thanks: 30 Thanked 35 Times in 29 Posts	new living roof I'm blessed with a wreck of a house that needs enough work to keep boredom away for several lifetimes. One project on the list is a roof over the entry door. Having experimented with a green roof on a woodshed and been pleased with the result we decided to make this entrance roof a living roof as well. Up goes the framing: Decked over with T&G fir: Then 1/4" fir plywood: And EDPM pond liner: I wanted a drainage layer and had this plastic "rock guard" material so on it went. Rock guard is used to protect coatings on buried pipelines and I rescued some scraps from a bin a few years back intending to make use of it as an anti-fatigue mat in my workshop. I figure the roof is an equally noble cause. Roxul 'comfortboard' is next. I'm curious how this will work out. It's a rock wool meant for external insulation (R6). The final ingredient of our inorganic growing medium is rubber mulch shown here after planting up with Sedums. This picture through a grimy window shows the layers of materials used. I'll be tieing in to this to continue the roof down the side of the house at a later date which is why the edge is unfinished. I've still got posts to make up (the ones in use are temporary) and some detailing but I'm glad to have gotten this far. Crossing my fingers the Sedums take. Greg

08-19-15, 11:56 AM	#2
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Looks great Greg. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

08-20-15, 12:41 AM	#3
mechanic Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 117 Thanks: 10 Thanked 16 Times in 12 Posts	That rockguard is handly stuff! My brother pipelines so we use it for a ton of things... Any idea what the r value is on the living roof? I am going to have to build a livestock building before winter and I've always liked the idea...

08-20-15, 12:45 AM	#4
mechanic Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 117 Thanks: 10 Thanked 16 Times in 12 Posts	I see your from the island so your probably familiar with the Goats on the Roof Cafe! This shelter I need to build is for goats as well, I think it would be a hAndy fit as it would give them a good look out too...

08-20-15, 12:46 AM	#5
mechanic Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Saskatchewan, Canada Posts: 117 Thanks: 10 Thanked 16 Times in 12 Posts	Is the synthetic medium the norm? Do you have to fertilize much then?

08-20-15, 09:01 AM	#6
Higgy The Gardener Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Manitoba - Canada Posts: 492 Thanks: 17 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	I've been to the Goats on the Roof Cafe. My sister lives in Courtenay so we've been there 2 or 3 times. Do you put any soil up there? What do the plants grow from or use for nutrients? Or did you just use a planter and cover it?

08-20-15, 09:33 AM	#7
sunspot Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Vancouver Island, BC Posts: 147 Thanks: 30 Thanked 35 Times in 29 Posts	"Any idea what the r value is on the living roof?" I couldn't even guess what the r value would be. The comfortboard itself is R6. I imagine the r value will change dramatically once it gets wet as well. "Is the synthetic medium the norm? Do you have to fertilize much then?" From what I've read (a lot, all online) 10% organics seems to be the norm but many argue for less. Keep in mind we'd planned to plant with Sedums. Apparently these plants get all the nutrients they need from rainwater. Seems counter intuitive somehow, we'll see. We have some growing successfully at ground level in a bed of 3/4" drain rock and others growing in 100% wood chips so they're certainly not fussy. "Do you put any soil up there? What do the plants grow from or use for nutrients? Or did you just use a planter and cover it?" There's no soil and no planters. Until some roots develop a gust of wind could blow them off as they're just sitting on the rock wool with ~1" of rubber mulch butted up to them. Note: I think goats would frown on this substrate :-)

11-03-15, 02:10 AM	#8
barbara356 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Texas, Houston Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	The idea is really great!

08-13-16, 10:03 PM	#9
sunspot Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Vancouver Island, BC Posts: 147 Thanks: 30 Thanked 35 Times in 29 Posts	Thanks for the positive comment Dev. The roof has since been extended down the side of the house as well.