Funny you mention soffit vents—I thought mine were fine until I crawled up there last spring and found a bird’s nest blocking half of one. Cleared it out, and the attic temp dropped a good 10 degrees. As for how much heat is “normal,” I’ve heard if you can’t touch the underside of your roof deck for more than a few seconds, it’s probably too hot. Too much heat definitely bakes the shingles faster and can lead to that musty smell from mold if you’re not careful. Sometimes it really is the little stuff that makes or breaks your roof.
- Not sure I’d use the “can’t touch the roof deck” test as a hard rule. I’ve seen plenty of attics where the deck feels hot but ventilation and moisture levels are still in check. Depends a lot on sun exposure, insulation, and even the color of your shingles.
- Bird nests and blocked vents are definitely common, but I’d say mold risk is more about humidity than just heat. If you’ve got good airflow and your bathroom/kitchen vents aren’t dumping into the attic, you’re usually okay.
- On asphalt shingles specifically: they’re not perfect, but most issues I see come from poor install or skipped maintenance, not just attic heat. Folks blame the material, but it’s often the details—like flashing or underlayment—that get missed.
- If you’re worried about shingle lifespan, check your attic insulation and make sure you’ve got both intake (soffit) and exhaust (ridge or gable) vents working. That’s usually more important than obsessing over a few degrees of attic temp.
- Quick story: inspected a 15-year-old roof last week, shingles looked rough, but the real culprit was a bathroom fan venting straight into the attic. Fixed that, and the musty smell cleared up fast. Sometimes it’s not what you think...
Asphalt shingles get a bad rap sometimes, but honestly, most of the “regret” stories I hear come down to shortcuts during install or folks skipping the boring stuff like cleaning gutters or checking for cracked caulk. I’ve torn off roofs where the shingles looked fried after 10 years, and the real villain was a missing ridge vent or insulation packed so tight you’d think it was a pillow factory up there.
Had a customer last summer—swore his shingles were junk because they curled up like potato chips. Turns out, he had three layers of old shingles underneath and zero ventilation. That attic was basically a sauna. Once we stripped it all down and did it right, he was shocked how much cooler his upstairs felt.
If you’re in a spot with wild weather swings, just keep an eye on the basics: good airflow, no blocked soffits, and don’t let your bathroom fan dump steamy air into the attic. Shingles themselves are fine if you treat ‘em right. They’re not bulletproof, but they’re not made of tissue paper either.
- 100% agree, most shingle “failures” I’ve seen are more about what’s under and around them than the shingles themselves.
- Ventilation is huge. If your attic can’t breathe, it’ll cook those shingles from underneath. I’ve seen brand new roofs look rough after a couple years just because of that.
- Another thing—people sometimes cheap out on underlayment or skip ice & water shield in colder spots. That’s asking for leaks, especially with wild freeze/thaw cycles.
- I’d add: don’t forget about flashing around chimneys and valleys. Even the best shingles won’t save you if water sneaks in there.
- One thing I’m not totally sold on is the “30-year shingle” label. Maybe in perfect conditions, but real life? I’d plan for 20-ish, especially if you get hail or big temp swings.
- Maintenance is boring but worth it. Quick check every spring/fall saves headaches later.
- For the price, asphalt’s still hard to beat unless you’re going all-in on metal or tile. Just gotta do the basics right...and don’t stack new shingles over old ones unless you like surprises.
If you’re leaning asphalt, I’d say it’s worth it as long as you don’t cut corners on install. I’ve managed a bunch of roofs—ventilation and flashing are always where folks get burned. Shingles themselves are fine if everything else is done right. Just don’t expect 30 years unless your weather is super mild.
