I get the hesitation about tearing things up without knowing for sure, but sometimes waiting it out can end up costing more in the long run. I’ve managed a few buildings where folks tried to patch here and there, thinking they were saving money, but the water just kept finding new paths. One place had a leak that seemed to move every time we thought we’d fixed it—turned out the insulation was soaked and just spreading water all over the ceiling. We finally bit the bullet, pulled up a section, and found rot that would’ve been way cheaper to deal with earlier.
About green roofs, I hear you—they look great in magazines, but they’re a whole different animal when it comes to upkeep. Still, I’ve seen some setups where they actually helped with leaks by adding another layer of protection (and weight, which isn’t always good). Not saying it’s for everyone, but sometimes the extra layers can help if you’re already redoing things. Just depends how much you want to gamble on patch jobs versus a bigger fix.
Had a customer once who swore his flat roof was haunted—every time we patched one spot, the leak would show up somewhere else, like it was playing hide and seek. Turns out, water’s sneakier than you’d think. It’ll travel along beams, insulation, whatever path it can find, and pop out halfway across the room. We finally had to pull up a big chunk to find the real culprit: an old HVAC curb that was letting water in under the membrane. Not fun, but at least we stopped chasing ghosts.
Green roofs are cool in theory, but man, if you don’t have the structure for it or you’re not ready for the extra maintenance, it can be a headache. I’ve seen them help with leaks by acting like a giant sponge, but I’ve also seen them trap moisture and make things worse if there’s already a problem underneath.
Curious—has anyone tried using thermal imaging or moisture meters to track down those mystery leaks before tearing things up? Sometimes the gadgets save a lot of drywall and guesswork... sometimes they just tell you what you already know: it’s wet.
Thermal imaging actually saved my butt once when I was dealing with a “mystery” leak under a green roof. I was convinced it was the new skylight, but the camera showed cold spots way off to the side—turned out water was running along the insulation and popping out nowhere near where it got in. I get the hesitation with green roofs, though. If the layers underneath aren’t solid, you’re just hiding problems. Still, when they’re done right, they really do help with runoff and heat. Maintenance is no joke, though... I’m always pulling weeds up there.
That’s classic—water always finds the most annoying path, right? I’ve had similar surprises with leaks showing up way off from where you’d expect. Thermal cameras are a game changer, especially with green roofs since the layers can mask so much. I agree, if you don’t get the waterproofing dead-on, you’re just setting yourself up for headaches down the line. Maintenance is definitely more work than folks realize... I’ve found sedum pretty manageable, but anything more ambitious and it’s hours up there every month. Still worth it for the energy savings and stormwater control, at least in my book.
Leaks are honestly my biggest fear with this house. I’ve only had it a year, but the flat roof is already giving me anxiety every time it rains. When I first noticed a stain on the ceiling, I figured it’d be right above the leak—nope. Ended up chasing water trails all over the place. I tried the “hose test” (just running water over small sections at a time), but that didn’t really help since the water just seemed to disappear and then show up in the weirdest spot inside.
I haven’t tried a thermal camera yet, but now I’m thinking maybe I should rent one. The idea of layers hiding problems makes sense—mine’s not a green roof, just a basic membrane, but there’s still insulation and plywood under there. Maintenance is definitely more than I expected. I thought once a year would be enough, but now I’m checking after every big storm.
If anyone’s wondering, patching from inside didn’t work for me at all. Water just found another way in. Next step for me is probably calling someone with better tools... or maybe just learning to live with buckets for a while.
