Metal flashing boots are definitely the way to go. When we bought our house, the previous owner had done a quick fix with rubber boots, and I swear every squirrel in the neighborhood knew exactly where to chew through...little jerks. Switched to metal flashing and haven't had an issue since. As for green roofs—I love the idea, but my neighbor tried it and ended up hosting a raccoon family reunion up there. Guess mileage varies!
Metal flashing boots are solid, no doubt, but I've had decent luck with high-quality rubber boots too. The key is proper installation and regular inspection—most issues I've seen come from poor sealing or neglect rather than material alone. As for green roofs, raccoons can be a headache, but proper design with barriers and drainage layers usually keeps wildlife at bay. Maybe your neighbor's setup missed some of those details...
I've gotta push back a bit on the rubber boots. Sure, proper installation helps, but from what I've seen inspecting homes, even high-quality rubber eventually cracks or deteriorates under harsh weather conditions—especially intense sun exposure. Metal flashing boots just hold up better long-term, less fuss overall. And about raccoons... honestly, I've seen some pretty well-designed green roofs still get invaded. Those critters are crafty; sometimes barriers just slow them down temporarily.
You're spot on regarding rubber boots—I've seen plenty fail prematurely, especially after severe storms or prolonged UV exposure. Metal flashing is definitely more resilient. As for raccoons...yeah, they're stubborn. I've even seen them tear through aluminum vent covers—crafty doesn't begin to describe it.
Metal flashing's definitely tougher, but raccoons...man, they're like furry little engineers sometimes. Had one peel back metal flashing like it was a sardine can. Ended up reinforcing with heavier gauge stuff—lesson learned, lol.
