Copper strips definitely seem to be the go-to around here, but I always wonder about the long-term impact on the garden and local streams too. I tried zinc a couple years back—cheaper, but honestly, it didn’t do much except stain the shingles weirdly. The rain barrel idea is clever though. I’ve been thinking about switching to a “living roof” with sedum or something, but not sure how that’d hold up in our soggy winters. Anyone else tried going full green roof instead of fighting moss? Sometimes I feel like the moss is just winning anyway...
I keep thinking about the green roof thing too, but honestly, does anyone know what happens if you get a really wet winter and it just turns into a soggy mess? I’ve seen some cool sedum setups online, but I’m worried about weight and drainage. Plus, would it actually stop the moss, or just give it more places to grow? I feel like fighting moss is a losing battle where I live... Has anyone had a green roof long enough to see if it’s less maintenance in the long run?
I feel like fighting moss is a losing battle where I live...
Yeah, I hear you on that. I swear, moss is like the final boss of homeownership in the PNW. I haven’t tried a full-on green roof (my house is barely holding up its regular roof at this point), but I did look into it when I first moved in. The weight thing freaked me out too—my inspector basically laughed and said, “Not unless you want your living room to become a pond.” Drainage seems like a huge deal, especially if you get those weeks where it just never stops raining.
As for moss, I’m not convinced a green roof would stop it. Feels like it’d just invite more weird stuff to grow up there. Maybe less visible than neon-green patches on shingles, but still... stuff growing where it shouldn’t. Anyone actually had one survive more than a couple winters without turning into a science experiment? I’m all for low maintenance, but not if it means my roof starts sprouting mushrooms or something.
Weight and drainage are definitely the two big hurdles with green roofs, especially in places where it rains for weeks on end. But if you get the layers right—waterproof membrane, root barrier, drainage mat, then lightweight soil—you can actually keep the load manageable. I’ve seen a couple setups last through PNW winters without turning into a swamp, but you do have to stay on top of maintenance. Usually it’s sedum or other hardy groundcovers, not grass or anything that needs mowing. Ever looked into modular tray systems? They’re less permanent and let you swap out sections if something gets funky. Wondering if anyone here has tried those on an older roof?
I’ve looked into modular tray systems a bit, but I keep hesitating because my roof’s about 30 years old and I’m not sure how much extra weight it can really handle, even with the lighter soil mixes. The idea of being able to swap out sections if something goes wrong is appealing, especially since I’m not keen on tearing up the whole thing for repairs. But I do wonder about long-term durability—do those trays ever warp or crack after a few freeze-thaw cycles?
Also, cost-wise, they seem to run higher than just building up the layers yourself. I guess you’re paying for convenience and flexibility. For an older roof like mine, I’d probably want to get a structural engineer’s opinion before adding anything significant up there... just in case. Maintenance is another thing—sedum’s great, but even that needs some attention if you want it to stay healthy and not turn into a moss patch.
If anyone’s actually used these trays on an older roof, I’d be interested in hearing how it’s held up over a few seasons.