You nailed it about striking a balance. I’ve seen folks get so focused on ventilation that they forget about the quality up top, or vice versa. Composite shingles really do take a beating better—I’ve patched enough storm-damaged asphalt to know the difference. But yeah, even the priciest shingle won’t last if the attic’s cooking underneath. Around here (Midwest), I always tell people: clear those soffits, check your baffles, then splurge on the best shingle you can afford. It’s all about the whole system working together.
Couldn’t agree more about the attic being a make-or-break factor. I’ve lost count of how many “bad shingle” complaints actually turned out to be ventilation issues—ice dams, curling, you name it. Composite does seem to hold up better in our freeze-thaw cycles, but if the soffits are blocked or insulation’s packed tight against the roof deck, even the fanciest shingle won’t stand a chance. Sometimes folks get sticker shock on the venting upgrades, but honestly, it’s cheaper than replacing a whole roof five years early...
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called out for “bad shingles” and it’s actually the attic choking up the roof from the inside. People spend big on premium composite or even fancy asphalt, but if you’ve got insulation jammed up to the deck or soffits painted shut, you’re just asking for trouble. I get the hesitation on venting upgrades—nobody wants to pay for something they can’t see—but it’s wild how much longer a roof lasts when the attic can breathe. Seen plenty of $20k roofs trashed in under a decade because of this.
I learned this the hard way last year. We went with a mid-grade asphalt shingle because the price difference for composite was just too much for us at the time. I figured, hey, as long as it’s installed right, we’ll be fine. Fast forward to our first summer heatwave and suddenly I’m up in the attic sweating buckets, realizing there’s barely any airflow up there. The insulation was packed tight against the roof deck, and whoever painted the house before us sealed up half the soffit vents.
We had a couple of shingles curl within two years—installer blamed “cheap materials,” but after poking around online (and reading stuff like this), I’m pretty sure it’s more about the attic being a sauna. Ended up spending more on adding baffles and opening up vents than I saved on skipping composite in the first place. Wish I’d known to check that before signing off on the roof job... Live and learn, I guess.
Ended up spending more on adding baffles and opening up vents than I saved on skipping composite in the first place.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I still don’t buy that composite would’ve solved the whole issue. I’ve had mid-grade asphalt on my place for 15 years—no curling, no leaks, and we get plenty of heat here too. Ventilation is the real culprit most of the time. Even the fanciest shingle will fail if your attic’s cooking. Sometimes folks throw money at “premium” materials when just getting the basics right would go further.
