You’re spot on about water finding its way in—flashing is usually the culprit, especially around vents and skylights. As for lightning, I’ve seen a few metal roofs take direct hits over the years. If the system’s grounded right, damage is rare—usually just fried electronics if anything. Hail’s a bigger headache in my experience, since insurance loves to call those dents “cosmetic.” Not much you can do about that except document everything and push back if they try to lowball you.
I’ve managed a handful of buildings with metal roofs, and lightning’s never been the big headache—like you said, proper grounding does the trick. The real pain is hail. Had a property last year that got peppered; insurance adjuster called it “just cosmetic,” but try telling that to tenants who think their roof’s ruined. Ended up taking photos from every angle and pushing back until they covered more than just a token amount. Water leaks are still my main concern, especially after a few years when flashing starts to go... That’s where most of my repair calls come from, not lightning.
Hail’s the real menace, totally agree. I’ve seen metal roofs take a beating and yeah, insurance loves to call it “cosmetic.” Try explaining that to someone staring at a roof full of dings every time they step outside. Honestly, my bigger gripe is how little attention gets paid to green options—plants can soften hail impact and help with runoff, plus they look way better than a pockmarked tin lid. Water leaks are brutal though... flashing is always the sneaky culprit in my experience too.
Yeah, hail’s rough on metal—those dents are hard to ignore, even if they’re “just cosmetic.” I’ve seen green roofs hold up better in some storms, but they’re not common where I am. And flashing… always seems like the weak link, especially around chimneys.
Metal roofs and hail... yeah, it’s like giving your house a drum solo every time there’s a storm. I get what you mean about those dents—my neighbor calls them “roof freckles” but I’m not convinced it’s a good look. You mentioned green roofs—honestly, I’ve seen sedum and other plants just soak up hail like it’s nothing, but they’re definitely rare outside big cities or eco-nerd circles (guilty as charged). As for flashing, it always feels like the Achilles’ heel, right? Ever tried those newer flexible flashing tapes? They’re supposed to help, but I’m still skeptical—especially around old brick chimneys.