I'd think about the possible runoff issue with copper too.  Salvaged metal
is a good option as well.

Josh

On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 4:40 PM, George Frantz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Liz,
>
> Is a vegetated roof a possibility?  If the roof is not that steep this may
> be an option.
>
> You would have to ensure that the house and roof framing are robust enough
> to support the added weight of the soil and plants.  There have been a
> number of soils mixes developed specifically for rooftop use that are
> lightweight and which can actually add much less weight than you would
> think.
>
> A landscape architect in Buffalo recently finished a small studio building
> that featured a vegetated roof.  It was a gable design with a 6/12 or 7/12
> or steeper roof pitch.  The design is simple enough that no special skills
> are needed to make it work.
>
> The American Society of Landscape Architects has also installed a vegetated
> roof on their headquarters building.  They have a link to reports on that
> project via their website at  www.asla.org
>
> I also recently toured a vegetated roof on top of an older commercial
> building in Toronto that had been rehabilitated a few years ago.
>
> The new dining hall roofs on West Campus at Cornell have vegetated roofs.
>
> Copper?  I was at a friend's new house the other day that had a
> copper roof.  I can't comment on the sustainability of using copper, i.e.
> whether its lifespan outweighs the environmental costs of mining and
> manufacturing.
>
> Best regards.
>
> George Frantz
>
>
> >At 01:50 PM 7/30/2008 -0400, you wrote:
> > >We need to replace the roof on our house. ANyone have any ideas about
> the
> > >best material to use in terms of the lowest ecological footprint?
> We'd like
> > >to get slate if it's not too ridiculously expensive. Any advice
> about
> > >materials or contractors would be welcome. We live in Owego (35 miles
> S of
> > >Ithaca).
> >
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