I’ve actually looked into green roofs a bit since moving out here (we’re about a mile from the water). The idea sounds awesome—plants, insulation, less noise, all that. But I kept running into people saying the salty air can be rough on the waterproofing layers and even some of the plants, depending on what you pick. I guess the salt can mess with the membrane over time, especially if you don’t keep up with maintenance.
That said, I did see a couple of houses in my area with what looked like legit living roofs. They used a ton of succulents and hardy grasses, nothing too thirsty. I think the trick is making sure the drainage is solid and picking plants that don’t mind a little salt spray. I’m still tempted, but honestly, the upfront cost and the extra weight on the roof kind of freaked me out. If anyone’s actually done it long-term near the coast, I’d love to hear how it’s holding up. For now, I’m just sticking with shingles and hoping for the best when the storms roll in...
the salty air can be rough on the waterproofing layers and even some of the plants, depending on what you pick.
I’ve seen that too. My uncle tried a green roof on his garage about half a mile from the beach. Looked great for the first year, but the membrane started bubbling up after a couple winters. He said the salt and wind just wore it down faster than he expected. He switched to a metal roof after that, but even then, the salt started corroding the fasteners. Makes me wonder if anything really lasts out here unless you’re on top of maintenance all the time.
Yeah, the salt air is no joke. We’re about a mile inland and even here, I’ve had to replace some of the flashing on my roof way sooner than I thought. Tried going cheap with galvanized nails once—big mistake. They rusted out in just a couple years. Now I stick with stainless steel, but it’s not cheap. Honestly, I feel like you’re always patching or cleaning something if you want it to last near the coast... kind of feels never-ending sometimes.
Couldn’t agree more about the stainless steel—pricey, but it’s really the only thing that holds up long-term around here. I’ve seen folks try to cut corners with coated fasteners or even aluminum, but the salt just finds a way in. It’s wild how quick rust sets in, even a mile or two from the water. Honestly, I wish someone had warned me before my first roof job... ended up replacing half the flashing after just three years. Maintenance never really stops, but I guess that’s just part of coastal living.
That’s exactly what I ran into on a place we manage that’s about three blocks from the beach. The previous owner used galvanized nails and painted flashing, figuring the paint would keep the rust at bay. Three years later, it was like someone sprinkled orange dust everywhere—total mess. We ended up budgeting for stainless replacements, but wow, the price jump was real.
Here’s something I’ve wondered: has anyone tried those newer composite or PVC-based trims and flashings? I see them advertised as “coastal tough,” but I’m skeptical. Stainless is proven, but if there’s a decent alternative that doesn’t break the bank, I’d love to know before our next round of repairs. Also, how often are folks actually rinsing their roofs or gutters? Some contractors swear by a twice-yearly hose-down to cut salt buildup... seems like a pain, but maybe it helps?
It never ends with coastal maintenance, does it? At least you get a view while you’re up there swapping out parts...
