One of the advantages of a custom-built home is the fact that you can do as much as you want with it. One of the major concerns in today’s world is the environment and the conservation measures that need to be taken. As a homeowner, you can participate in this global effort by having a green roof be part of your custom-built home.
Green roofing gives you the aesthetic benefits of nature right on top of your house. The plants will provide you with natural thermoregulation, and, depending on how you prepare it, you may end up with a natural sanctuary you can retreat to after a hard day’s work. Here’s how to go about setting up a rooftop garden:
Image Courtesy of Flickr
How To Start a Rooftop Garden
If you live in an urban area and only have a small rooftop you can still create a magical lush garden. Here’s how to do it:
#1 Permission
Check with your local planning office to ensure you can add the garden to your home. If your home is rented obviously this is another point to consider with your landlord. Youíll also want to check that your rooftop is structurally safe to take the extra weight.
#2 Think about safety
Your planning office should set these regulations into place and advice you regarding safety, but itís worth noting. If you have young children especially, youíll need a barrier that is high enough so that they cannot climb on it. Read full post at Nature Hacks…
Another idea you can incorporate into your green rooftop garden is to have raised garden beds. The following post explains how to do this:
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Raised Garden Beds For Square Foot Gardening
Some readers might be wondering why this method goes to the trouble of building boxes in the first place. After all, can’t we just apply the square foot rule to a regular patch of garden and get the same results? The truth is, probably not! The box system is very important to the health and success of your garden for a few reasons. First, it keeps your garden organized and simplified, which means you as a gardener are more likely to take good care of it in the first place. When you turn something from a chore into a joy, chances are good the activity is going to be done more! The boxes also do the hard work of keeping that special soil mix above ground and away from any pesky neighboring plants. Read more at Pioneer Settler…
As the post explains, you can do your gardening atop your roof by building the boxes and making the process more fun than work. This will definitely require a flat roof design. Now you can take your love for gardening to the roof, making it more interesting.
If you are not an ardent nature lover but would still like to have a green roof, you’re not left out. You can have your custom-home roof fitted with green roof tiles. Check it out in the following post:
Image Courtesy of Geograph
Green Roof Tiles by Toyota Roof Garden
While green roofs may be universally accepted as wonderfully sustainable landscapes for a myriad reasons, the thought of installing one atop your own home may nevertheless seem daunting, expensive, and difficult to maintain. But the folks from Toyota Roof Gardens (a subsidiary of the Prius-creating car company) have solved your green roof installation qualms with a tile-based system that’s as easy as laying down carpet. The TM9 self-watering turf tiles measure twenty inches square, and connect directly to irrigation systems, making them entirely self-watering. And at a slim 2 inches thick, the tiles lightweight and do not require any additional structural upgrading to your existing roof. Read more at Inhabitat.com…
Your custom built home can be as green as you want it to be and the process can be handled in a variety of ways. The beauty of a custom home is you get to make all of these decisions for yourself.
Contact Oz Custom Home Builders to discuss a plan for building your next home or if you simply want additional information about the process. Call us at 803-242-0050 or use the “Email Us” link on this page to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to create the house of your dreams.