We swapped to a lighter roof a couple years back too, and it's definitely noticeable—especially upstairs. As for gutter guards, squirrels are crafty little buggers...mine treated the guards like ninja warrior obstacles at first, but eventually gave up. Might be worth considering after all.
Switching to a lighter roof definitely helps with heat reflection, but have you considered adding a green roof or even partial vegetation coverage? It might sound complex, but a simple sedum mat or drought-resistant plants can significantly boost insulation and reduce runoff. As for the squirrels...they're persistent, but I've found that combining gutter guards with strategic pruning of nearby branches makes their ninja antics less appealing. Just something to think about if you're looking for another eco-friendly layer to your setup.
I've seen sedum mats work pretty well, especially on smaller roofs or sheds. They're surprisingly low-maintenance once established. But I'm curious—has anyone here tried combining reflective coatings with partial vegetation? Wondering if the two together make a noticeable difference, or if it's just overkill. Also, squirrels are relentless...tried gutter guards myself, but pruning branches back definitely helped more in my case.
- Tried sedum mats on my shed last summer—super easy and looks great.
- Haven't combined reflective coatings myself, but sounds interesting...might be worth a shot if your roof gets a lot of sun.
- Totally agree about squirrels, they're basically tiny furry ninjas. Branch trimming helped me too, gutter guards not so much.
- Good luck with your eco-roof adventures, sounds like you're on the right track!
I put sedum mats on my porch roof last year too, and honestly, I was skeptical at first (plants on a roof? really?) but they've held up surprisingly well. I haven't tried reflective coatings either, but my neighbor swears by them. Might give it a shot next summer since our place gets blazing hot midday. And yeah, squirrels are relentless—I swear they took gutter guards as a personal challenge rather than a deterrent, lol. Branch trimming definitely helped more for me too.
