Sod roof

Fairbanks cabin with sod roof

A large log cabin with a sod roof in Astruptunet looks over the fjord of Jølstravatnet in Vestland, Norway

Getting the details of your green roof construction right will save you from problems down the road.

Installing a green roof is a fun DIY project that will enhance the view of your home, reduce energy costs, and provide other eco-friendly benefits.

Sod Roof

Once westering pioneers reached their destination, they had to build homes. Those homes reflected the available natural resources of the land. In forested areas, log homes were popular. Some areas in rocky terrain used stones. Some in the Southwest, where clay was plentiful, used adobe. On the Great Plains, sod houses, called “soddies,” were the most common abodes. (There were some wealthier settlers who brought pre-cut timber cabin kits with them offered through the Sears & Roebuck catalog…

Although sod-topped structures may seem like they're straight out of a movie, the fascinating earthen-enclosed Hofskirkja church was built in 1884.

Plant a rooftop; change your life. That’s Pamela Berstler’s mission. By converting conventional heat-generating roofs into energy- saving ecosystems where succulents and wildflowers flourish, the West Los Angeles-based landscape designer hopes to transform the local landscape, one green roof at a time.