How did you spend your Monday afternoon? I have been watering the lawn, hose skywards, pointing at the crest. Now that the deed is done, I can share my excitement. Our house wears a shiny new outfit – a grass roof, perfectly matching the stunning 50-shades-of-green Faroese landscape.
Driving around the islands, you will come across many sod roofs. They actually date back to the age of the Vikings, which, as related to the Faroes, means: back to the 9th century. The longhouses of the Norse settlers were low houses built of turf, stone and driftwood under heavy grass roofs. Through the centuries, the housing pattern changed. Solitary farms were followed by settlements, villages and, about the end of the 19th century, by the houses of fishermen, roofs still covered with lush green.
When we bought our summer house, our roof was all set for future plans. Ever since then, we wanted to get a grass roof. It has finally been done! As a surprise for my husband Francesco, who was taking care of business in Germany. When he got back to Faroe Islands, he was over the moon.
All members of the „grass roof conspiracy“ have kept it private. Thank you, Poul Johannes Reyná, Mortan Esbern Karlson Justesen, Eivind S. Thomsen, Jónbert Justesen, Meinar Reyná and Amona Karina Reyná. For: Cutting sods. Hauling heavy, rectangular pieces of turf down the hillside. Covering the roof with plastics and sods. Thank you for your friendship, thank you for making this possible, and thank you for sharing this experience. I guess I won’t get up on the crest again for quite some time.
At the moment, the grass is picking its way through the fishing net that we put on top of the sods, as a final layer. All nails have been hammered carefully into the edging of the net and the wooden roof construction. Winter storms? There’s no reason for concern. As long as the grass takes root properly. That is precisely why I have been watering the lawn earlier. Weather forecast: no rain in coming days. Here we go again: hose skywards, pointing at the crest.
