I’m right there with you on the insulation making more of a difference than the shingles. When we bought our place, I thought a new roof would be the magic fix for drafts and high bills. Turns out, not so much. Here’s how it played out for us:
1. We replaced the old three-tab shingles with architectural ones because they were literally flapping in the wind after a storm. The house looked way better, and I stopped worrying about leaks every time it rained sideways. But—like others have said—my heating bill didn’t move at all.
2. Next winter, I noticed cold spots around the ceiling and attic hatch. Ended up spending a weekend crawling around up there, adding more insulation and sealing gaps (especially around that hatch). That’s when I finally saw my energy bill drop.
3. If you’re thinking about where to spend your money, I’d say:
- First, make sure your attic is properly insulated and sealed up tight (weatherstripping is cheap and makes a big difference).
- Then, get decent shingles so you’re not dealing with leaks or replacing them again in 10 years.
4. One thing I’ll add—if your roof decking or flashing is in rough shape, don’t skip fixing that while you’re up there. We tried to save money by just swapping shingles, but ended up having to go back and patch some rotted wood later anyway.
5. As for green roofs... yeah, they look cool in magazines but I can barely keep up with my backyard as it is.
In short: new shingles are worth it if your old ones are shot or leaking, but don’t expect miracles on your heating/cooling costs unless you tackle what’s underneath first. If you’re handy at all, a lot of the attic work isn’t too bad to DIY—just dusty and cramped.
Hope that helps someone else avoid my rookie mistakes...
That’s super helpful, thanks for sharing all that detail. I totally get where you’re coming from—when we moved in, I figured new shingles would magically make the place cozier, but nope. Did you notice any difference in noise after redoing the roof? I keep wondering if it’s worth it just for peace of mind during storms, even if the bills don’t change much. Your tip about attic hatches is gold... mine’s basically a wind tunnel right now.
Funny you mention the noise—after I swapped out my old three-tabs for architectural shingles, I actually noticed storms sounded a bit duller, but not as much as I’d hoped. The real game changer was adding insulation up there. Shingles alone didn’t do much for coziness or sound, honestly. Ever thought about blowing in some extra insulation while you’re at it? That attic hatch draft is a classic... I’ve seen folks just slap some weatherstripping on and call it a day, but sometimes it’s worth building a little insulated box over it. Curious if anyone’s tried those attic tents—seems like a weird fix, but maybe it works?
Those attic tents are interesting—I’ve installed a couple for folks who wanted to cut drafts without building a full hatch box. Mixed results, honestly. Depends a lot on how tight your attic access is. Did you notice any difference in your energy bills after adding insulation?
Depends a lot on how tight your attic access is. Did you notice any difference in your energy bills after adding insulation?
I actually tracked my bills pretty closely after adding insulation, and there was a noticeable drop—about 10% over the winter months. My attic access isn’t super tight, so I did have to seal up some gaps around the hatch, but it still helped. If you’re already thinking about a new roof, I’d say making sure the attic’s sealed and insulated is worth it. Every little bit adds up, especially with energy prices lately.