"Definitely cheaper than copper, and runoff hasn't been an issue either. Not sure it'll last decades like copper would, but for the price difference, I'm satisfied so far."
Yeah, coated aluminum can be surprisingly resilient, especially considering the salt air. I have a friend who lives right by the coast—like literally steps from the sand—and he went with coated aluminum about five years back. Similar story to yours, actually. He expected it to degrade much quicker, but it's holding up well with just minor spots here and there around joints and edges. Nothing major though.
One thing I've noticed is that the installation quality seems to make a big difference. If the edges or seams aren't sealed properly, that's usually where corrosion starts creeping in first. But even then, it tends to be pretty manageable if you catch it early enough.
Personally, I'm a big fan of green roofs—plants and vegetation instead of traditional materials. Obviously, they're not practical for everyone (especially near salty air), but you'd be surprised how well certain coastal-tolerant plants can thrive in harsher conditions. A neighbor of mine experimented with a small green roof patch using sedum varieties and succulents designed for seaside climates. It's been over three years now, and it's doing great—plus it looks amazing. No corrosion worries there!
But yeah, going back to your point about copper... while copper is definitely durable and can handle salt air beautifully over decades (and even looks great as it ages), the price difference is pretty steep these days. I totally get opting for coated aluminum instead; seems like a sensible compromise between cost and longevity.
Anyway, glad it's working out for you so far... fingers crossed you get many more good years out of it!
I went with coated aluminum about 8 years ago when we redid our beach cottage roof. Honestly, I didn't expect much given how brutal the salt air can be, but it's held up surprisingly well. Like you mentioned, installation quality really matters—ours was done carefully, especially around seams and edges. Only minor corrosion spots so far, nothing alarming. Copper would've been nice, but the cost difference just wasn't practical for us.
"Honestly, I didn't expect much given how brutal the salt air can be, but it's held up surprisingly well."
Good to hear your coated aluminum worked out. Just bought my first home near the coast and went with a similar setup—researched a ton beforehand. Seems like proper sealing around edges and fasteners is key to longevity. Copper looks amazing, but yeah... budget realities hit hard. Glad your experience backs up what I've been hearing; hoping mine holds up just as well.
Did you end up going with stainless fasteners or something else? I've seen aluminum roofs hold up great near the coast, but fastener corrosion can sneak up on you... sounds like you're on top of it though.
I ended up going stainless—figured better safe than sorry. I've seen galvanized fasteners rust out surprisingly quick near saltwater, even when the roof itself looks pristine. Learned that lesson the hard way on my shed a few years back... thought I was being clever saving a few bucks, but nope, ended up replacing every single screw after just two seasons. Not fun.
If you're doing it yourself, here's a quick tip: make sure you use stainless washers too, not just the screws. Mixing metals can speed up corrosion, and those little washers are sneaky culprits. Also, a dab of marine-grade sealant around each fastener hole helps keep moisture out and buys you extra peace of mind.
Yeah, stainless costs a bit more upfront, but honestly, it's worth it to avoid climbing back up there in a couple years. Roof work isn't exactly my idea of a relaxing weekend project...
