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Old February 9, 2010   #1
babylark
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Default Green Roof - Anyone have advice?

Went I visited the PA State Farm Show this year, I spoke with the Penn State Extension person about a Green Roofing. Basically you install a sill around the edge of your roof, put down a moisture barrier, put down a layer of gravel, then compost and plant in the compost.

I'm thinking this might be a great alternative for my house. My house is surrounded by VERY large White Oak trees. I love the trees cause it keeps our house cool in the Summer. The drawback to the trees is that they are hard on a roof. The branches falling and the roof grows a lot of moss.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm afraid of weed infestation or worse yet...the acorns sprouting an Oak tree on the roof of my house.
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Old February 9, 2010   #2
David Marek
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Some people plant trees on their roof.--- Dick young:
http://carolgulyas.typepad.com/green...a/green_roofs/
The article: http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=1176,4902629
I'm not sure if he still has the 20 ft white pine.
"The branches falling and the roof grows a lot of moss." - sounds like you already have a green roof!! Sorry, I don't have much experience. The structure needs to be able handle the weight. For a pitched roof you are kind of limited to sedum mats, and although excess water does need to drain off, it does so more slowly.
And yes, weeds happen.
I hope someone else can be more useful, but this guy's house is really cool.
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Old February 10, 2010   #3
amideutch
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As the trees are not going away and the lack of sunlight (heavy moss accumulation) I don't think a green roof is the answer. How do you propose to clean all the twigs, branches and leaves off the roof after you make it a green roof? It's alot harder and more expensive to construct a green roof on an existing structure than to incorporate one into a new house that was designed to have one. I drive by a house going to work that has a green roof and even a window to access it but after the first year the plants died and now it's a house with a dirt roof. Ami
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Old February 10, 2010   #4
barkeater
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I have a green metal roof, does that count?
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Old February 11, 2010   #5
dice
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You do need an engineer to look over your roof support
inside to see if it will take the weight. (Same thing needs
to be done before installing a slate or terra cotta roof on
a structure designed for 3-tab composition or cedar shake
roofing.)
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