"Had a green roof on a shed once—looked awesome at first, but after a couple heavy rains, it turned into a soggy mess."
Yeah, green roofs can be tricky. They're great in theory—eco-friendly, nice to look at—but drainage is key. I've seen a few setups that worked well because they had proper waterproofing and drainage layers underneath. Without those, you're basically asking for trouble after heavy rain. Metal roofs might lack charm, but they're definitely reliable when storms roll through... peace of mind counts for a lot.
Green roofs definitely have their quirks. Did you have any kind of drainage mat or waterproof membrane under yours? Usually, when I see green roofs fail after heavy rains, it's because the setup skipped a few critical layers. A proper green roof system typically has multiple layers—waterproofing membrane, root barrier, drainage layer (like a dimpled plastic mat), filter fabric, and then your growing medium. Without these, you're basically just piling dirt and plants onto a roof and hoping for the best.
Metal roofs are solid performers in heavy rain, no doubt about it. But shingles can hold their own too if they're installed correctly. The key with shingles is making sure they're properly overlapped and sealed, especially around valleys and flashing points. I've seen plenty of shingle roofs handle storms just fine for decades when done right.
One thing to consider with metal roofs though—have you thought about noise? Some people find the sound of rain on metal relaxing, but others find it distracting or even annoying during heavy downpours. If noise is an issue for you, adding insulation or soundproofing underneath can help quite a bit.
Also, metal roofs aren't totally maintenance-free either. They can dent from hail or falling branches, and depending on your climate, corrosion can be an issue over time if the coating gets damaged. Still, they're generally lower-maintenance than shingles or green roofs.
If you're still interested in the green roof idea but worried about drainage issues, maybe look into modular tray systems? They're easier to install and maintain since each tray has built-in drainage channels. Plus, if one section gets soggy or damaged, you can just swap out that tray instead of redoing the whole roof.
Anyway, every roofing option has its pros and cons—just depends on what trade-offs you're comfortable with...
Good points on the modular trays—I inspected a place last year that switched to those after their original green roof turned into a swampy mess. Definitely easier to manage, especially if you're DIYing it. Metal roofs are solid, but yeah, I've seen hailstorms leave some nasty dents...
Speaking of hail damage, has anyone noticed if certain metal roof coatings or finishes hold up better against dents? I've seen some roofs that look like golf balls after a storm, while others seem to shrug it off pretty well. Wondering if it's more about the thickness of the metal itself or if the coating plays a bigger role. A friend of mine had a standing seam roof installed a few years back, and after a nasty hailstorm, it barely showed any marks. But then again, I've inspected others that were practically cratered. Maybe it's the angle or pitch of the roof too? Curious if anyone's noticed a pattern there...
"Wondering if it's more about the thickness of the metal itself or if the coating plays a bigger role."
I think roof pitch might actually matter more than we realize... my neighbor's metal roof is pretty steep, and hail seems to glance off it easily. Has anyone else noticed steeper roofs holding up better?
