Funny, I used to obsess over getting the membrane perfect, but after a few years managing these roofs, it's always the drainage that bites you. Had one building where we skimped on the drainage mats—looked fine for a while, then roots started clogging things and we ended up with a swampy mess. Fixing that was way pricier than just doing it right from the start. Seams matter, but if water's pooling, you're in for headaches down the road... trust me.
That’s wild, because I always figured the membrane was the big deal too—guess it’s just what you see first, right? I learned the hard way when my back porch roof started smelling like an old pond. Turns out, a clogged drain under the sedum layer was the culprit. Had to dig the whole thing up. Never thought drainage would be the thing that’d keep me up at night, but here we are...
- Been there, honestly. Everyone talks up the membrane, but drainage is sneakier and way more trouble when it fails.
- Clogged drains are a nightmare—especially with sedum, since you can’t see the mess until it’s too late.
- Had a similar thing with my garage roof. Figured it was the waterproofing, but nope, just standing water and roots blocking the exit.
- It’s wild how much time you end up thinking about water flow and not just plants or soil.
- If it helps, you’re definitely not the only one losing sleep over roof drains. It’s a rite of passage, I guess.
Funny you mention roots—I thought I’d over-engineered my setup with gravel and filter fabric, but after the first year, water pooled in one corner. Turned out a single tiny root had snaked into the drain. Now I check every spring, just in case. It’s wild how a little thing can cause such a headache.
Roots are sneaky, for sure. I tried to save a few bucks by using leftover landscape fabric instead of the pricier stuff, and now I’m wondering if that’s why I had a similar issue last fall. Pulled up the drain cover and there was this little root ball just sitting there, blocking everything. Not sure if it’s worth upgrading the fabric or just making drain checks part of my spring routine. Either way, it’s always something with these projects...
