Planted roofs, green roofs, turf roofs, turf and green roofs, sod roofs, roof terraces, whichever you prefer to call them, are becoming a popular concept in the USA. Some cities, such as, Portland, Oregon provides incentives to participants through its green roof initiative; other states have also implemented incentive plans.
I've been interested in planted roofs ever since reading about the sedum roof on the eco-convent. The thought of picking herbs off the top of my shed, with its flat roof, seems appealing, but not very safe. I've seen them before on houses built into hillsides and flat roofs, but more and more they are showing up on pitched roofs too. The benefits of this type of roof to the owner and the community are numerous.
Benefits:
A Wikipedia article, Sod Roof, refers to the all sod/turf roof as "a traditional Scandinavian type of roof", which was "most common on rural log houses".
Roofs types for the “planted roof” are typically low pitched and flat roofs, however if the roof is strong enough to support the weight of the turf and/or plants when fully saturated (including snow if applicable) and the roof is watertight they can be planted on other pitched roof surfaces as well. General structural calculation are made when purchasing. It is not unusual that foundation and roofing timbers may require upgrading to support the weight.
Plants are typically chosen with consideration to the depth of the soil they will require. There can obviously be more variation on a flat roofs. Typical choices are the biodiverse rooftop, sedum blankets, small shrub and flowering plants. These choices are also referred to as extensive: with a thin layer of growing material, such as sedum matting; or intensive: with a greater soil depth with shrubs and even trees. The biodiverse roof is often referred to as a brown roof, the biodiverse roof is constructed similarly, but is designed to maximize biodiversity or provide a habitat for a specific species.
There are also options for planting medium, some companies make biodegradable mulch mats made predominately from waste paper, the area you live in and the type of plants you use may make an irrigation system a must.
Lots of options available with this new, [or not so new in the case of the sod roof (see wikipedia link below)], creative take on the rooftop.
In my search on the www for information on planted roofs I found most of the vendors were in Europe. The few vendors and/or organizations I found in the United States encouraging this type of roof seem to be centered in the Northwest and in the Northeast. Some of the sites have instructions for self installation.
More Info:
Wikipedia:: Sod Roof
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