Quarterly checks are the sweet spot for me too, especially since our green roof seems to attract every pigeon and stray branch in the city. After a storm, I walk it—nothing fancy, just a quick look for pooling or weird plant growth. If you’ve got a living roof, clogged drains can sneak up on you fast. Learned that the hard way last spring... ended up with a mini swamp up there. Honestly, waiting a year would be asking for trouble with all the wild weather lately.
- Same here, quarterly checks seem to catch most issues before they get out of hand.
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Had almost the same thing happen after a windstorm—branches blocked my scuppers and I didn’t notice until water started dripping into the stairwell.“clogged drains can sneak up on you fast. Learned that the hard way last spring... ended up with a mini swamp up there.”
- I keep a checklist: drains, flashing, membrane seams, and any odd plant growth. Takes 20 minutes but saves a headache later.
- Honestly, yearly checks just aren’t enough with all the debris and weather swings lately. Even found a bird’s nest wedged behind an HVAC unit once...
Quarterly checks seem about right, especially with all the weird weather lately. I’m a bit skeptical that 20 minutes is enough, though—
—that’s a lot to cover if you’re thorough. I’ve seen moss sneak under seams and cause leaks you wouldn’t spot unless you really look. Yearly checks just don’t cut it anymore, not with all the debris and critters finding new places to hide.“drains, flashing, membrane seams, and any odd plant growth”
- I’m with you on the “20 minutes is enough?” part.
—I’d need at least double that just to feel like I didn’t miss something.“drains, flashing, membrane seams, and any odd plant growth”
- My place is surrounded by trees, so gutters fill up fast. I’ve started doing a quick check every couple months, but a full inspection takes me closer to 45 minutes.
- Found some moss tucked under a seam last fall… wouldn’t have spotted it if I hadn’t poked around with a flashlight.
- Yearly checks honestly feel risky now, especially after that windstorm last spring.
I totally get where you’re coming from—20 minutes just isn’t enough, especially if you’ve got trees nearby. I’ve seen so many folks miss stuff like moss or tiny cracks because they rushed it. Honestly, I’d rather spend an extra half hour up there than deal with leaks later. After a big storm, I always tell people to give it a good once-over, even if it feels like overkill. Those little things add up fast... and yeah, yearly checks alone don’t cut it for most places with heavy tree cover or wild weather.
