I’ve been down the rabbit hole with flat roof leaks more times than I care to admit. Honestly, after years of patching, sealing, and even redoing the flashing (twice), I finally just bit the bullet and put a single-ply membrane over the whole thing. Not cheap, but it ended the drip-drip circus. I like the green roof idea, though—sedum trays are lighter than you’d think and they do help with UV. Just make sure your structure can handle the weight, especially if you get snow like we do up here. Sometimes, a total reset is less stressful than chasing ghosts under old tar.
Single-ply membrane is a solid move—sometimes you just have to start fresh, especially with those mystery leaks that seem to defy physics. I’ve seen folks spend years patching only to end up doing exactly what you did. Green roofs are cool, but yeah, snow load can turn a “lightweight” tray into a real backbreaker. You definitely saved yourself some headaches in the long run.
Single-ply membrane is a solid move—sometimes you just have to start fresh, especially with those mystery leaks that seem to defy physics. I’ve seen folks spend years patching only to end up doing exactly what you did.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m always a little skeptical about the “just start over” approach unless you’ve really exhausted every other option. I mean, yeah, chasing leaks on a flat roof can feel like you’re in some kind of weird water whack-a-mole game—patch one spot, and suddenly there’s a drip on the other side of the room. But ripping everything off and going single-ply isn’t always the magic fix either, especially if you’re in a spot with wild temperature swings or a lot of foot traffic up there.
Anyone ever actually track down one of those “physics-defying” leaks? I had a job last year where water was showing up in the middle of a living room, nowhere near any seams or penetrations. Turned out, it was wicking along a buried HVAC line—took three visits and a thermal camera to figure that out. Sometimes the problem’s not even the membrane, it’s something sneaky like a bad curb detail or a cracked parapet cap.
About green roofs—I hear you on the snow load. Folks love the idea until February rolls around and suddenly their “eco-friendly” roof weighs as much as a small car. I’ve seen some tray systems that claim to be lightweight, but after a couple storms, you’re looking at a lot of extra stress on the structure. Anyone actually had a green roof hold up long-term in a snowy climate? I’m curious if the maintenance is worth it.
At the end of the day, I guess it comes down to how much time and money you want to throw at chasing leaks versus just biting the bullet and starting fresh. But I always wonder—how many people end up replacing a roof when the real issue was something totally unrelated?
Had a similar “magic leak” situation a couple years back. I was convinced the roof itself was toast, but after crawling around up there with a flashlight and a garden hose (and probably looking like I’d lost my mind to the neighbors), it turned out water was sneaking in through a tiny gap where the old satellite dish cable used to be. The water traveled along the cable, dripped down inside the wall, and popped out halfway across the living room ceiling. Took me ages to figure out—felt like I was in some kind of home improvement detective show.
I get what you’re saying about not wanting to rip everything off unless you’re sure. Sometimes it’s not even the roof—could be flashing, or even something weird like condensation from bad insulation. I’m in Michigan, so we get those wild freeze-thaw cycles, and patching sometimes feels like putting a Band-Aid on a leaky dam. But man, starting over is expensive. If I can avoid it with some detective work and a tube of sealant, I’m all for that first.
Green roofs look cool but honestly, shoveling snow off my regular roof is enough of a workout for me... can’t imagine adding plants to the mix.
That “magic leak” detective work sounds way too familiar. I spent a whole weekend convinced my flat roof was haunted because water kept showing up in the weirdest spots—turned out it was sneaking in through a vent pipe that looked fine from the outside. I’m with you on not wanting to rip everything up unless you’re sure. My wallet can’t handle another “just in case” project. And yeah, green roofs look awesome in theory, but I can barely keep my houseplants alive, let alone a whole ecosystem on top of my house...
