Construction of a sloping green roof on an oak-framed garage / summerhouse

Project Background

Shropshire-based Oak Frame Specialists, Hopewood Oak were approached by a client to design a building to satisfy a number of requirements:

Transform a poorly utilised space occupied by an existing structure
Provide a covered area for parking
Provide a space for family “down time” which connects with the garden
Sustainable solution
Aesthetically pleasing
Blend in with surroundings (area of outstanding natural beauty)

The final design solution was a combined garage and summerhouse with a sloping green roof.

Green Roof Construction

Oldroyd Xv Green – Green Roof Drainage Membrane

The green roof was constructed using a typical Scandinavian method which is both simple and proven.

The sloping roof was constructed in the normal way and waterproofed using roofing felt. Oldroyd Xv Green drainage membrane was then laid on top to provide additional protection and drainage. Joins between sections of membrane were double sealed using Oldroyd double-sided tape and Oldroyd overseal tape.

At the edges of the roof, wooden barge boards were installed to retain the growing medium.

Finally, sedum matting was installed over the Oldroyd membrane. Sedum was chosen because it can grow in a very low soil depth and can therefore allow a more “lightweight” green roof solution than other green roof coverings such as turf. This minimised the need for additional reinforcement of the oak structure.

The Result

The green roof blends in beautifully with its surroundings and is a real point of interest for the young family. The photographs on the right show how the space has been transformed.