Weekly DIY: Green Roofed Dog Veranda

We noted a few weeks ago that Instructables, in conjunction with TreeHugger, was holding a Go Green! Design contest. We wanted to feature some of the DIY projects here on Green Options as well. We won’t necessarily be featuring the winners, nor will we be spelling out the steps of the projects (after all, that’s what the Instructables site is for). But we want to spotlight some of these wonderfully inventive green projects.

User "Tool Using Animal" created a ‘Green Roofed Dog Veranda‘ that we were immediately drawn to as a project we wanted to feature on Green Options. While this wasn’t the overall contest winner, vegetated roofs (or green roofs) are a regular feature in some green buildings (and even more green building discussions).

Green roofed structures are appealing to many people, but they aren’t necessarily willing to take on putting one on their own home without more information. So there are growing numbers of green roofed doghouses and green roofed garden sheds and green roofed garages as people who are interested in green roofs try them out in less vital places where they have an opportunity to try it and see without putting their personal comfort at great risk.

This project doesn’t require any special materials or skills beyond those necessary for some of our other projects. A hammer and a saw and a few other woodworking tools are about all that is needed.

I personally would look for alternatives to using ACQ treated wood, even for a doghouse. A doghouse is not going to need decades of longevity, and cedar or some other naturally decay-resistant wood would seem to be a better choice. It should last as long as the structure is needed, but without the need for chemically treated wood.

I should also point out that this is not a complete green roof system. Commercial green roofs are more involved, but this should produce a working version that replicates some of the same principles. While it should function fairly well, even treated wood will eventually break down when in constant contact with wet soil, as is the case with this roof. But "Tool Using Animal" wasn’t trying to replicate a commercial green roof, and I think this is a great project.

The entire project can be viewed on one page here on the Instructables site.