How Cool is a House With a Roof Top Garden?
I chose to test a house with a roof top garden, because I wanted to learn if a garden on the top of the roof of a house will keep the house cooler than a regular roof will. I live in Florida where it is very hot and sunny most of the year. Most homes in Florida have roofs covered with shingles. I decided to compare shingles with a roof top garden. My hypothesis was: I think the roof top garden will keep the house cooler, because the plants on the roof will insulate the house and keep the cool air in and the hot air out. I think the soil and plants will help keep the hot air out of the house. To test my hypothesis, I made two small ‘houses’ out of cardboard boxes. I used a pre-made shingle roof for one house, and I made a roof top garden roof for the other house using flowers held in by a frame, put on top of a piece of wood paneling covered with tar. I placed both houses outside at 10 am in a sunny spot with thermometers inside them every day for ten days. I checked the temperature ins
