"I've found the pro-grade stuff is worth every penny, especially when dealing with metal edging or anything exposed to weather extremes."
Yeah, I hear you on that, but honestly, I've had decent luck even with mid-range polyurethane sealants. Last summer I tackled my garage roof edging—figured I'd save a few bucks and skip the premium stuff. Surprisingly, it's held up pretty well through some nasty storms and temperature swings. Maybe I got lucky...or maybe the expensive stuff isn't always necessary? Either way, proper prep seems to matter more than anything else.
"Either way, proper prep seems to matter more than anything else."
Gotta agree with you there—prep is king. But I've seen enough DIY jobs to know sometimes luck runs out sooner than you'd think, lol. Had a client last year who swore by mid-range stuff until a particularly nasty ice storm peeled it right off. Not saying premium is always necessary, but sometimes the extra bucks buy peace of mind...and fewer callbacks from angry homeowners. Just my two cents.
"sometimes the extra bucks buy peace of mind...and fewer callbacks from angry homeowners."
Haha, ain't that the truth? I learned this lesson the hard way when I cheaped out on some flashing around my chimney. Thought I had it nailed down (literally), but after one nasty storm, water was dripping right into my living room—talk about a DIY fail. Ever tried explaining water stains on the ceiling to your spouse after insisting "it's fine, I got this"? Not fun.
I feel your pain on that one. A couple of years ago, I decided to replace some old metal edging along the roofline myself—seemed straightforward enough at the time. I figured, why pay extra when it's just a strip of metal, right? Well, turns out there's a bit more to it than just nailing things into place.
Everything looked great for a little while, but after one particularly windy weekend, I noticed a weird rattling sound coming from the roof area. Climbed up there to find one section of edging flapping around like a loose sail. Apparently, I'd used the wrong type of nails and didn't secure it properly into the fascia board. Lesson learned: roofing nails aren't just a suggestion—they're pretty much mandatory for stuff like this.
Ended up having to redo the whole section, this time with proper fasteners and some sealant for good measure. It wasn't even the cost that bothered me most; it was the extra time and hassle of climbing back up there and doing it all over again. Plus, having to sheepishly admit to my family that my "quick fix" wasn't so quick after all was a bit humbling...
Since then, I've become a big advocate for slowing down, researching thoroughly, and spending a bit more on quality materials from the get-go. Sure, it's tempting to save a few bucks upfront, but in the long run, peace of mind is worth way more than whatever small savings you get by cutting corners.
