No, really, Glenn... I just saw this article (I believe it was a link off tompaine.com's links section) about putting roof gardens on buildings in Chicago to slow down the "heat island" effect and the building runoff from storms that (natch) goes right into the lake from there.
OTOH, you'd have a hard time with a roof garden if you had a steep Ontario Cottage roof like some of us... :) But if not, you could get DIY veggies up there and never lack for greens during the summer months.
OTTH, if you're really intent on stopping the evil death rays from the Great Thermonuclear Alarm Clock in the Sky (aka the Abandon Tent Warning Light), who'm I to stop you? Hmm, I ougtta send you an e-mail about Panda's project RCMU and our possible collaborative project, The Red Menace (neo-Bomb/Big Bug McCarthyMovies), since you seem to be heading in that direction anyway. :)
Yes, Ontario Cottage is a real school of architecture. Look it up for yourself if you don't believe me...
Yes, I should do that. Not a vegetable garden -- I have a brown them, so it should be something I'll have a lot of tyrouble killing, like grass, or honeysuckle. Question is, can I just throw a bunch of sod up there with some 2x4s around it to keep the edge of the dirt from washing into the gutter, or a large number of potted plants; or do I have to reinforce the roof first to deal with the extra weight?
Assuming I can do it at all, the worst it'll get me is a couple inches (thickness of sod) of extra insulation, a non-black surface, and some of the energy that is absorbed will be converted to stored chemical energy instead of heating the office. Best case, I get serious shading effects from the leaves (I ain't mowing the roof!) and a drastic temperature change.
(Actually, worst case is that the plants all die, or the whole mess slides off the roof.)
Anyhow, first I have to ascertain that I'm really going to get to stay here. Of course, in the meantime I can cover the roof with aluminum foil...
Well, you could always plant the roof...
OTOH, you'd have a hard time with a roof garden if you had a steep Ontario Cottage roof like some of us... :) But if not, you could get DIY veggies up there and never lack for greens during the summer months.
OTTH, if you're really intent on stopping the evil death rays from the Great Thermonuclear Alarm Clock in the Sky (aka the Abandon Tent Warning Light), who'm I to stop you? Hmm, I ougtta send you an e-mail about Panda's project RCMU and our possible collaborative project, The Red Menace (neo-Bomb/Big Bug McCarthyMovies), since you seem to be heading in that direction anyway. :)
Yes, Ontario Cottage is a real school of architecture. Look it up for yourself if you don't believe me...
Cheers! Interrobang (?!
Re: Well, you could always plant the roof...
Assuming I can do it at all, the worst it'll get me is a couple inches (thickness of sod) of extra insulation, a non-black surface, and some of the energy that is absorbed will be converted to stored chemical energy instead of heating the office. Best case, I get serious shading effects from the leaves (I ain't mowing the roof!) and a drastic temperature change.
(Actually, worst case is that the plants all die, or the whole mess slides off the roof.)
Anyhow, first I have to ascertain that I'm really going to get to stay here. Of course, in the meantime I can cover the roof with aluminum foil...
Re: Well, you could always plant the roof...