Haha, totally feel you on that one. Last summer, I spent a whole weekend meticulously patching up my gutters and checking every shingle—felt like a roofing surgeon out there. Meanwhile, my cousin just duct-taped a tarp over his leaky spot and called it good. Storm rolls through, and guess whose house stayed bone dry? Yep, Mr. Duct Tape himself. Sometimes I swear Mother Nature just likes messing with us careful planners...
You know, it's funny how often I run into this exact scenario. Sometimes the quick-fix tarp solution just hits the jackpot—at least temporarily. But trust me, duct tape luck doesn't usually hold out long-term, especially if we're talking hurricane-level weather. Your meticulous gutter and shingle inspection was definitely the smarter move. Even if it didn't seem to pay off immediately, you probably prevented hidden water damage or leaks that could show up months later.
From what I've seen, storms can be weirdly selective—one house gets hammered, the next barely touched—but generally speaking, thorough prep is still your best bet. If you really want peace of mind for next storm season, might wanna consider adding hurricane clips or reinforcing roof decking if you haven't already. Those steps aren't flashy (and definitely not as fun as slapping on duct tape), but they usually do the trick in keeping roofs secure in high winds.
- Good points about hurricane clips, they've saved my neighbor's roof more than once.
- Still, I've seen some roofs survive purely by luck... weird how random storms can be.
- Curious, anyone tried spray foam insulation under decking for extra strength? Worth it or overkill?
Hurricane clips definitely seem worth it from everything I've read here and elsewhere. Glad your neighbor had good luck with them—makes me feel better about having them installed on my own roof recently.
About the spray foam insulation under decking... I looked into it briefly when we bought our house last year. From what I gathered, it can add some structural strength, but it's mostly about insulation and energy efficiency rather than storm protection. The contractor I spoke with said it might help a bit, but probably wouldn't make a huge difference in a serious hurricane. He suggested focusing more on proper decking thickness, quality shingles, and hurricane clips or straps for actual storm resistance.
Still, if you're already planning to upgrade insulation anyway, it might be worth considering. Just don't expect it to be a game changer for hurricanes specifically. Storms really do seem random sometimes—my parents' old place survived multiple storms without much prep at all, while their neighbors lost shingles every time the wind picked up. Luck definitely plays a role, but I'd rather not rely on it too much.
Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide. Sounds like you're already thinking things through pretty well.
I agree with your contractor about the spray foam insulation. When we redid our roof a couple years ago, I asked around about it too. Most of the pros I talked to said pretty much the same thing—it's great for energy efficiency and sealing up drafts, but don't count on it to save your roof in a serious storm. The way one guy put it was, "If your decking is already coming loose, spray foam isn't gonna hold it down." Made sense to me.
We ended up skipping the foam and putting our money into thicker plywood decking, good quality architectural shingles, and hurricane clips. So far, we've been through two decent storms (nothing catastrophic, thankfully), and everything's held up fine. Could be luck, sure, but I think having the right materials and installation makes a huge difference.
One thing I'd add is to check your attic ventilation if you're going to use spray foam. I've heard from a couple neighbors who did foam insulation that it changed how their attic ventilated, and they had to make some adjustments afterward. Not a huge deal, but something else to think about.
Honestly though, storms can be weirdly unpredictable. My brother-in-law's house was built like a fortress—clips, straps, reinforced decking—and he still lost shingles in a storm that barely touched our place. You just never really know. But you're right that it's better to stack the odds in your favor rather than relying on luck alone.
Sounds like you're already on the right track with the hurricane clips and thinking things through carefully. Good luck with whatever you decide to do next.
