Garden Shed with Planted Roof
Sedum prevents runoff and adds a touch of green to this charming backyard property.
At first, the family wasn’t eco-friendly when they wanted storage for garden tools, potted plants,
and lawn mowers. However, the problem of standing water on an adjacent building gave builder
an idea. Plant a roof to catch rainwater instead of letting it run off and potentially exacerbating the
problem. “It added thousands of dollars to our budget, but my clients and their three young children
really liked the idea”, he says.
At a glance
What happens here: Storing and organizing garden tools, planters, soil, covers, and plants potted
plants
Location: 1496 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14209
Size: 120 square feet (11.1 square meters)
Designer builder: KDRoofers
As you can see in the photo after one year of installation, the sedum plant spread beautifully and
completely covered the roof. “They turn a nice red color in the fall”, says builder.
Builder used ethylene propylene diene terpolymer (EPDM), a synthetic rubber roofing membrane,
under the substrate. The shed has a gutter, but in practice it is only needed during very severe
storms. Otherwise, a green roof will absorb most of the water.
This close-up shows a street planted with sedum. Sedum thrives on roofs and requires no additional
water. However, water played a large role in structural calculations. When designing the structure,
builder had to calculate not only the weight of the roof, substrate and vegetation, but also how
much rain or snow could be added. The expected saturated weight of the green roof was about
2,500 pounds, so builder designed the agriculture to support twice that amount to be safe.
The 3-inch substrate consists of a mixture of lava rock, earth and sand. Lava stone was used for
the base layer to keep the roof as light as possible. Sedum loves dry soil, so we designed this
mixture with them in mind.
Since the warehouse does not have electricity, it is mainly used as a warehouse. An external shelf
for potted plants extends its usefulness to the garden.
The warehouse’s style is rooted in arts and crafts and craftsmanship. Because these styles can be
found all over the neighborhood. “The general design idea for the shed was ‘a stylish barn’”, says
builder. Another of his clients gave him this antique leaded glass window he removed from a house
built around 1900 during a remodel. Repurposing them on this project helped the shed fit into this
house, which is about the same age.
Bracket details are inspired by the surrounding architecture. “Most of the houses in this
neighborhood were built between 1900 and 1920”, says builder. “The parentheses add a bit of
Victorian flair”.
For the interior framing, builder used 4×4 treated lumber placed on poured concrete piers set to
frost depth. This depth depends on where you live, so check your local building codes.
He got his budget-friendly poplar siding from locals who cut and trim the trees that grow on his
farm. The poplar planks are 11⁄2 inches thick.
Sliding barn doors add to the charm of your building. The builder built the hardware himself.
See: How to add a backyard shed for storage or living https://kdroofers.com/
Nitharsana
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