I've actually found cutting my own from three-tabs isn't as tricky as some folks make it out to be. Sure, dedicated hip and ridge shingles are convenient, but once you get the hang of slicing your own, it's pretty straightforward and saves a decent chunk of change. The stiffness issue is real though—warming them up definitely helps, but honestly, a good roofing nailer and careful nailing technique usually does the trick for me without too much fuss...
- Tried cutting my own once—wasn't too bad, but took longer than expected.
- Curious though, do you find the homemade ones hold up as well over time?
- Might give warming them a shot next time... hadn't thought of that.
- Homemade ridge shingles can work okay short-term, but durability-wise, I've seen mixed results.
- Factory-made ridge shingles usually have reinforced adhesive strips and better granule retention—makes a noticeable difference over time.
- Warming them up can help flexibility, true, but be careful not to overdo it; too much heat weakens the shingle structure.
- Honestly, if you're investing time and effort anyway, consider pre-cut ridge shingles. They're pricier upfront but save headaches down the line.
- Learned this the hard way after replacing DIY ridge caps on a client's roof just two years later... wasn't fun.
I tackled a similar project a few summers back, and honestly, I came to the same conclusion about DIY ridge shingles. Initially, cutting them from standard shingles seemed like a smart cost-saving move. Installation went smoothly enough, but within about three seasons, I noticed some curling edges and granule loss—definitely not ideal.
Factory-made ridge shingles really do have an edge durability-wise, especially with those reinforced adhesive strips you mentioned. I found that warming them gently in the sun helped with flexibility without risking structural integrity—just laying them out for 15-20 minutes before installation did the trick for me. But yeah, too much heat can definitely cause issues.
Ultimately, I ended up redoing the ridge caps with pre-cut shingles after just a couple of years. It wasn't fun redoing work I'd already completed, but the difference in quality was noticeable almost immediately. Lesson learned: sometimes saving money upfront ends up costing more in time and frustration down the road...
"Lesson learned: sometimes saving money upfront ends up costing more in time and frustration down the road..."
Couldn't agree more with this. Been there myself—thought I'd beat the system cutting my own shingles, but factory-made ones are just miles better. Your redo wasn't wasted effort...it's valuable experience for next time.
