I do wonder if the slickness ever gets better, though. Like, does it “rough up” at all over time, or is it always going to be like walking on a hockey rink in February?
That’s exactly what I keep asking myself. We switched a couple of our rental properties to composite last year and I’ve noticed the same thing—super slick when there’s frost or even just heavy dew. Does anyone actually get used to that, or is it just something you have to warn every contractor about? I’m also curious if the creaking gets worse as the roof ages or if it settles down after a few seasons. The noise isn’t ideal, but at least I’m not chasing shingles down the street anymore... trade-offs, I guess.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with the slickness—especially first thing in the morning when there’s any moisture. I’ve been up on a few composite roofs after a storm and honestly, it never really “roughs up” much, even after a couple years. Maybe a tiny bit less slippery, but not enough to make me comfortable walking around up there without serious caution. As for the creaking, in my experience it actually got a bit quieter after the first winter, but it still pops and groans more than asphalt ever did. Still, like you said, not having to pick up shingles from the neighbor’s yard is a win in my book.
That creaking is wild, right? I kept thinking a raccoon was up there the first few nights after install. But yeah, not chasing shingles down the street every time the wind picks up is a huge upgrade. I’ll take a little slipperiness over that hassle any day.
I get the appeal—no more chasing shingles down the block every time the wind howls. But does anyone else worry about that slipperiness in winter? I swapped to composite a couple years back and, man, the snow just slides right off... sometimes right onto my walkway. Nearly took out my mailman last January. I do miss the old asphalt for that reason, even if it meant patching after every storm. Anyone found a good way to deal with that ice sheet effect?
Yeah, that’s the one thing I didn’t think about when I switched to composite—snow just rockets off the roof now. I’ve had a couple “mini avalanches” that scared the heck out of me. I ended up putting those little snow guards along the edge above my walkway. Not the prettiest, but they break up the snow before it dumps all at once. Still beats patching up torn shingles every spring, though...