Have granules added (with is about all I got other than your thoughts.

In my situation like this I bought bags of violet crushed gravel to cover the roof. I had a little curb around the edge to keep it contained so I put a Buddha in the far corner. I loved seeing the zen scene out the window. You could use white gravel and just do a series of swirl patterns like wind or use another color... like this from HomeDepot.

Duck Boards

We don’t like artificial grass or turf but it seems pebbles/gravel is going to the be easiest/cheapest/least risk solution. I really wish it could be a beatiful green roof but @ci_lantro you have a good point… we are planning to do pretty extensive gardens south of the house where you see in the photo, so maybe it won’t be such a big deal. At least having some stones would cover the ugly seams and rubber but there will be plenty to look at.

This reminds me of a client I had where they had a second floor door leading out to a low pitched roof over a first floor space. They often used the roof for partying on. You guessed it, roofs and alcohol do not mix well. They figure the savings in hospital bills would pay for the new rooftop deck I designed for them.

Haha Mark I definitely threatened the architect we would be going on this roof anyway so she should just make it a deck! But she urged us not to do that as it is not meant to handle the load and walking on it will damage the membrane. We really really wanted a stargazing deck so we are a bit heartbroken. She claimed nobody uses balconies so it is a waste of money. That being said, we have a pretty clear view of the stars from inside and we could simply go outside if we want. I wanted an elevated balcony to be safe from coyotes though…

I just wish I pressed the issue because it does not seem like it would have been very difficult for the engineer to beef up the structure during design so we could handle the weight of plantings and potentially even people. Oh well, live and learn! Mark, do you think putting pebbles is the best solution here? My GC also suggested we could adhere some decorative decking. But I think seeing a pretend deck we aren’t allowed to be on will make me bitter. More bitter than I already am :)

Green Landscape Glass?

"She claimed nobody uses balconies so it is a waste of money."

Ask her if she can recommend a local architect that can design a house the way you want to use it, and not the way others will not use it.

Ask your builder to build a wood deck that sets on top of, or spans over, the membrane roof.

Drink Responsibly

If you wanted a balcony, the build should have been speced with a door and framing to support a balcony.

We have the same situation.

But since I will be using that room as my office and there will be window coverings, I expect to be seated. (I find the world a distraction from my computer screen.)

Replace the black with Duradek. Same rubber membrane but comes in like 20 colors (go under Duradek>colors in the link to see them). Made for walking on but I'd use it in your case. I used it on my own house for a deck over living space. Looked great. Duradek | Vinyl Decking - Roof & Deck Waterproof Solutions

Pay to reinforce the structure enough to support the outdoor use that you wanted. It isn't cheap to retrofit. But it's cheaper than being mad for 10 years every time you look out the window.

I waited too long so I don’t think reinforcing the structure is an option at this point. We are too far along now. I can live with not being able to walk on it (there is also no door and we can’t add a door at this point). I just want to find something simple with a low carbon footprint since its purely decorative. Not sure where one goes to view pebble options, but I will soon find out.

Curtains?

I just want to find something simple with a low carbon footprint since its purely decorative.

Did you even read my suggestion on Duradek??

I never used Duradek, but looking at their website I think it is your solution.

Duradek looks nice.

You need to grow a backbone and grow up. Low carbon footprint BS

I looked at it really quickly but didn’t think it is what we will want to use, thanks for sharing I just checked it again. Generally I would avoid PVC because it is a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, but I realize this is not so much a problem when it is outside. Also I doubt the EPDM is nontoxic or good for the environment, haha. But we already have the membrane so I don’t want to rip it up and replace to create waste. I’ll see what my GC thinks of the Duradek stuff. It does look better than what we have now but I think a natural material is really more what we are looking for aesthetically.

I did have an interesting idea earlier if we can maybe build some kind of wood structure just floating on it like a pergola but very close to the surface, perhaps non-aggressive vining plants could be trained up and cover the surface. I think that would look really nice over some stones. No clue how it would work though so I’ll have to talk to the carpenters!

If it could be installed so it doesn't blind you from inside, maybe install something that will reflect the sky above - it could look like water then. Probably not mirror, but something similar and safer.

I find it hard to believe that you can't cost effectively make that roof walkable. Get a different architect please.

pea gravel. Dad had a porch roof over the front door, pea gravel. A couple of years, a goose built a nest and laid eggs!

Hah Joseph - trust me, I know. I’m pretty well done with her now so it’s fine but I also can’t understand how it would not be strong enough to have a couple slim people climb up and look at the stars. I think she said it had to do with the weight and also damaging the membrane. According to the structural engineer, we can handle 10lbs PSF for whatever green roof/gravel/whatever we want to do. But, it’s also designed to handle the snow load. So I would think, according to basic common sense, that it can handle the weight of a couple humans in the summer when there is no snow! Do you think it has more to do with the membrane then?

I am sold on doing rocks/pea gravel/stone ballast/whatever you want to call it. I researched it and it seems there is a benefit of protecting the membrane from the sun as well as the thermal mass reducing energy consumption in the summer as it will keep the space below cooler. The rocks perform better over time than white reflective membranes which degrade and lose reflectiveness. Win win!

I would love if a goose built a nest here oh my goodness… we are huge bird lovers!

We learned a lot! Once the eggs are laid, the parent doesn’t leave until they hatch, not to eat or drink. Once the eggs hatch, the goslings leave within 24-48 hours of hatching. And they are designed to handle the fall/jump from a roof. Of course, if a raccoorn on the roof or coyote on th ground is handy at the opportune moment, well…

The deck is walkable. Just not for 15 people. 2 wouldn't be a problem or else it wouldn't have survived the building process. Get the square foot load rating.

I would likely go with decorative pea gravel also. Not too sure about the idea for a pergola and vining plants over a flat roof. Sounds nice in theory, but I’m guessing you’d end up with a lot of things (leaves, animals, debris) burrowing between or underneath your vine structure— potentially holding moisture against your roof/ house— and the structure itself might make it hard to clean out anything that gets stuck (or built) up there.

Architects are not God and you need to learn to state your mind and stick to it. Get this done as you wanted it will always make you crazy if you don't .

I think it is settled! I’ll talk to my builder and see how we can do the pea gravel. Seems like we can also use it occasionally if we want to sit on it. I think we will just need to make sure to add protection layers between the membrane and the gravel so the weight of being on it won’t puncture the EPDM.

Since you are looking for creative solutions, consider having an annual family contest in decorating the rooftop. My suggestion is to create a scene of the La Brea tar pits.

Ha ha ha Mark… that is so absurd 😂

I was however thinking it would be a perfect microclimate to grow something like tomatoes. I was reminded that caring for them would be a bit problematic, and we might not want a bunch of rotting tomatoes on the roof surface. I’m going to see if there might be a way to put flower boxes in front of the windows here. If we can think of something modern looking, and also that won’t interfere with the precious envelope and water management details.

This is the area in question, the other is on the side over the entry porch.

Water at velocity will hit in a line on your membrane surface.

You mean from the roof above? Or Just rain in general? Say more!

I can see tomato plants growing above the front entry. Perfect for movie nights. Guests can grab as many tomatoes as they care to vote.