"Curious if anyone has experience with how much ventilation type actually impacts roof lifespan or energy bills..."
Honestly, ventilation type might be a bit overrated. I've managed properties with both ridge and turbine vents, and haven't noticed a huge difference in energy bills or roof lifespan. Proper installation and attic insulation seem way more critical. Turbines can get noisy over time though... something to consider if bedrooms are nearby. I'd focus more on contractor reliability than vent style.
"Proper installation and attic insulation seem way more critical."
Totally agree with this part. Had a property where we upgraded insulation but kept the old vents—still saw noticeable improvements in energy bills. Ventilation matters, but it's not the whole story...
Yeah, insulation definitely makes a huge difference. Had a similar experience myself—upgraded the attic insulation in an older house I owned, and even though the vents were pretty ancient (I'm talking vintage 1970s here), the energy savings were still noticeable. But here's the thing: later on, when I finally got around to updating those vents, I noticed another small improvement. Not as dramatic as the insulation upgrade, but still noticeable enough to make me wonder...
I think ventilation is one of those things people underestimate because it's not as obvious or immediate as insulation. Good ventilation helps prevent moisture buildup and mold issues too, which can save you from some nasty surprises down the road. I've seen plenty of attics with great insulation but poor ventilation that ended up with mold or rot problems after a few years—definitely not fun to deal with.
Speaking of bids though, anyone else notice how wildly different contractor quotes can be for basically the same job? Had one project where three different companies gave me estimates that varied by thousands of dollars. Made me scratch my head wondering if they were even looking at the same attic... How do you guys usually handle it when bids come back all over the place? Do you just go middle-of-the-road, or dig deeper into why they're so different?
Yeah, I've definitely been there with the crazy bid variations. Had a green roof installed a few years back, and the quotes were all over the map—one guy quoted double what another did, and I swear they were looking at the same roof. I ended up asking each contractor to break down their estimates line-by-line. Turned out some were padding labor costs or using pricier materials. It's tedious, but digging into the details usually clears things up...mostly.
"Turned out some were padding labor costs or using pricier materials."
Haha, sounds familiar... I remember working on a roof last summer where the homeowner showed me two bids—one had this crazy-expensive underlayment listed. Nice stuff, sure, but total overkill for his place. Pays to double-check those details.
