Green roofs can definitely be a solid choice, especially for insulation and runoff management. Curious though—did you reinforce your garage structure before installation? I've seen some setups where the added weight caught homeowners by surprise after heavy rains...
Good point about the weight issue—I've seen that happen more than once. A few years back, a homeowner called me after a heavy storm because their garage roof was sagging pretty badly. Turns out, they hadn't reinforced the structure before installing their green roof, and the extra water weight was just too much. Definitely worth having an engineer or experienced contractor check your garage's load capacity first... saves a lot of headaches down the road.
That's a really important example you shared—thanks for bringing it up. I've noticed many DIYers underestimate how much extra weight a green roof or even solar panels can add, especially after heavy rain or snow. When I installed my solar setup, I had similar concerns and ended up consulting an engineer beforehand. It felt like overkill at the time, but seeing your story makes me glad I did. Better safe than sorry when it comes to structural integrity...
Yeah, I get why you'd want to double-check with an engineer, but honestly, sometimes it feels like they're just covering their bases. When I put up my panels, the installer insisted on extra supports—felt like upselling at first, but after last winter...maybe they had a point, haha.
"felt like upselling at first, but after last winter...maybe they had a point, haha."
Haha, yeah, installers do sometimes come off as pushy—I've definitely seen my fair share of overly cautious recommendations. But honestly, with roofing and solar panels especially, it's usually better to err on the side of caution. I've been skeptical myself plenty of times (and still am sometimes), but I've also seen what happens when people cut corners or underestimate weather conditions. Last year we had a job where the homeowner skipped extra bracing against advice, and sure enough, after one big storm he was calling us back for repairs. Ended up costing him way more than the supports would have.
Still, I get it—sometimes those extra add-ons feel like they're just padding the bill. But in my experience, if you're investing in something long-term like solar panels or a new roof...it's usually worth listening to the pros. Even if it stings your wallet a bit at first.
