I've installed a few sedum-based green roofs over the years, and while they do offer some insulation benefits, they're definitely not a quick DIY weekend project. Structural integrity is key—had one client underestimate snow load, and it wasn't pretty come February...definitely get an engineer involved first.
Yeah, learned that lesson the hard way myself. Helped my buddy install a green roof on his shed—figured, "it's just a shed, how bad could it be?" Well, turns out snow plus waterlogged sedum equals one seriously unhappy roof. We ended up shoveling off frozen chunks of plants in mid-January...not exactly the eco-friendly winter wonderland we'd envisioned. Definitely second the engineer recommendation; better safe than sorry when battling Mother Nature.
Had a similar experience a couple winters back. We were doing a flat roof job downtown, and the owner insisted on a green roof—said it'd look great from his office window. Well, it did...until the first heavy snowfall. Turns out drainage matters way more than aesthetics when you're dealing with plants and ice. Spent half a day scraping off frozen greenery and thawing drains with heat guns. Lesson learned: nature always wins, so plan accordingly.
Sounds like quite the ordeal, but kudos to you for handling it so effectively. Flat roofs can be tricky enough without adding greenery into the mix—especially in winter! I've learned the hard way myself that drainage is often overlooked in favor of aesthetics or cost-saving measures. Your experience underscores how crucial it is to balance visual appeal with practical considerations. Glad you shared this; it's a valuable reminder for anyone tackling similar projects.
