But is there any kind of sealant that actually survives more than a couple winters? Or is it just wishful thinking? I’m in the Midwest, so freeze-thaw is brutal here too.
Honestly, in your climate, sealants are just a band-aid. I get why you keep reaching for them—quick fix, feels productive, and sometimes you just need to stop a drip before it gets worse. But with Midwest freeze-thaw cycles, even the best roof sealants start cracking or peeling after a season or two. I’ve seen folks reapply every year and still end up with water damage under the tiles.
Underlayment’s expensive up front, no doubt about it. But if you’re planning to stay in the house for a while, it’s one of those “pay now or pay (a lot more) later” situations. The thing is, once water gets under your tiles and there’s no solid underlayment, it’s not just leaks—you’re looking at rot, mold, maybe even structural headaches down the line. That’s where the real money starts flying out the window.
I’ve patched my own tile roof with sealant more times than I care to admit. It always felt like I was buying time, not solving the problem. Finally bit the bullet on synthetic underlayment last year after another rough winter. Pricey week for sure, but haven’t had a single leak since—even after some nasty storms this spring.
If budget’s tight right now and you need to get through another season, sure, slap on some sealant as a stopgap. Just don’t expect miracles. If you can swing it though, underlayment is hands-down the long-term fix—especially with Midwest weather doing its thing.
It stings at first but trust me, your future self will thank you when you’re not up there every spring with a caulk gun and crossed fingers...
- Totally get the “pay now or pay later” thing, but man, synthetic underlayment is a big chunk of change up front.
- Has anyone tried just replacing underlayment in the worst spots instead of the whole roof? Wondering if that’s a middle ground.
- I’ve patched with sealant too—sometimes it held, sometimes it didn’t. Seems like luck and weather.
- For those who did the underlayment upgrade, did you DIY or hire it out? Curious if it’s doable for someone handy but not a pro.
I’ve managed a few tile roofs and honestly, sealant’s always felt like a band-aid—sometimes it buys you time, sometimes not. We did a partial underlayment swap on one building, just the valleys and worst slopes. It helped, but the patchwork made future leaks harder to track down. Full replacement’s pricey, but I’ve seen fewer headaches long term. Never tried DIY—our insurance pushed for licensed roofers anyway.
We did a partial underlayment swap on one building, just the valleys and worst slopes.
Had a similar situation at my uncle’s place. We tried sealant on a couple of cracked tiles, thinking it’d hold through the rainy season. It worked for a bit, but after a few months, water found its way in somewhere else. I get what you mean about patchwork making leaks harder to pin down. Full underlayment swap is a pain (and not cheap), but when we finally did it, the random leaks just stopped. Sealant’s more like crossing your fingers, honestly.
I’ve seen folks spend way too much on sealants, thinking it’ll buy them a few more years. Maybe it helps for a season or two, but once the underlayment’s shot, you’re just chasing leaks. Did a job last fall where someone kept patching—by the time we tore it up, there was rot everywhere. Underlayment’s the real defense, even if it stings the wallet up front.
