Hello to all,
I have a ravine beside my house and have decided to build my shop in it..walk out basement…a second story and plan on a sod roof to blend in with the terrain. Does anyone have any info on sod roofs? Thanks in advance. RPA
Hello to all,
I have a ravine beside my house and have decided to build my shop in it..walk out basement…a second story and plan on a sod roof to blend in with the terrain. Does anyone have any info on sod roofs? Thanks in advance. RPA
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Replies
Randy,
There was an article on the subject in Fine Homebuilding issue #56, October 1989. The article was reprinted in the Taunton book "Roofing: The Best Of Fine Homebuilding"
If you decide to do this, I'm sure many here would love to see some pics of the job in progress and the finished result.
Have fun!
Rich Beckman
Edited 9/6/2002 9:34:07 AM ET by Rich Beckman
Check out northernvision.net. There are some pictures of a log home with a sod roof. The home was shipped from Norway in pieces and assembled on site. Think there is a link to Malmlaft, the Norwegian company the home came from. Not much info, but the pics may be helpful.
Later. Matty
Little Sawhhorse Construction, LLC -- Building, Remodeling, and Repairs. Bayfield, WI
Not to change the subject :) but the idea of building a shop in a ravine gave me a twitch. I'd check a flood map first.
Hi Unc,
Just to ease your twitch...Our house is located on a bluff(50'-60' high) overlooking a stream. The stream is in the flood plain and the other side of the stream floods before our side. There is a small road/ trail that wraps around the bluff (all uphill) and ends on the opposite side of the house, about 40'-50' away ...this is where the ravine is located. The ravine ends and runs into an earthen dam and on the other side of the dam is a small pond. I plan to lay a concrete whistle in the bottom of the ravine about 10 foot from the dam, grade this over and pour a walkout basement with the open side of the basement on the downhill side...maybe get a door in the side that will accommodate a small tractor. Then frame the building on top of this...I am wanting to cantilever over the concrete basement walls some, since one side of the ravine is higher than the other, a large shed roof will suffice. I have access to enough heavy duty steel roofing to dry it in at first, and then the sod...buffalo grass will be used. By the way, My goal is to power this shop with solar,wind and water power. Also a self powered pump will pump water to the pond, the pond will fill until it spills over the " rock faced dam (also driving a turbine), into the 10' pool, and on thru the whistle, and back out to the stream. I am starting this in about a month and I will be taking photos as I make progress. Hope this ease that nasty twitch. Thanks, Randy...SE Kansas
Ah, good. Now I can hold my hand still. :)
There's something about building on a slope, isn't there? I have this vague mental picture of a house that kind of cascades down the side of a hill, with the house and the hill interpenetrating. Like six or ten levels of walkout basement. Something more sophisticated than the Pueblo cave dwellings but not as overwhelming as a medieval castle built on a high rock.
Good luck. Stay dry.
Not sure I would like a house with a sod roof.
But I guess it would grow on me.
(Well somebody had to say it!)
Save water. Shower with a friend.
Not sure I would like a house with a sod roof.
But I guess it would grow on me.
Now yer getting to the root of the problem.
Are you green with envy?
Randy,
Here's a few links to green roof info:
http://www.hydrotechusa.com
http://www.ecoroofsystems.com
http://www.cleanrivers-pdx.org
http://www.garlandco.com
http://www.greengridroofs.com
http://www.greenroofs.com
http://www.greenroofs.ca
http://www.roofmeadow.com
Have you given any thought to ICF construction for this shop?
Reward Wall Systems has a product called C-Deck that might be interesting to look at.
http://www.rewardwalls.com
This is a very interesting idea you have. Please let us know how it works out.
DRC