When a fire destroyed a portion of their home, Julie Cohn and David Rolston decided to re-build green. Here’s how they did it. My favorite part of the story is that Rolston, a landscape architect, decided to plant the roof:
“If done properly, the grass and soil create a layer of insulation that both moderates the temperature in the space below and protects the roof,” he says. “And, in our case, it made for a much more attractive view.” Rolston says proper installation of the sod is critical, with good drainage essential for preventing leaks. He had a roofing company install a waterproof continuous membrane covering over a sloped plywood frame; then he added a drainage mat (through Hanes Geo Components, HanesGeo.com) designed to channel water to metal scuppers and down to the garden. He topped the mat with six inches of lightweight soil, a custom mix for roofing uses, and then planted Zoysia ‘Emerald’ grass. “It has a beautiful, fine texture and is very drought and heat tolerant,” he says. “Plus, it grows only six to eight inches tall, so it doesn’t have to be mown.”
