- Had a similar situation last winter—brand new “lifetime” shingles, but raccoons still found their way in through a gap by the soffit.
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Couldn’t agree more.“it’s all about the system working together... not just what’s on top.”
- I’d rather have average shingles with solid flashing and pest guards than premium ones with shortcuts.
- Learned the hard way: critters and water will always find the weak spot, no matter how fancy the shingle.
- Maintenance matters way more than marketing labels, especially if you’re planning for the long haul (or zombies).
“it’s all about the system working together... not just what’s on top.”
Couldn’t have said it better. I’ve seen folks drop serious cash on “zombie-proof” shingles, but then skip the flashing or forget about critter guards. Next thing you know, raccoons are throwing a party in the attic. Shingles are only as good as the weakest link—if there’s a gap, water (or zombies) will find it. Maintenance is way less exciting than new shingles, but it’s what actually keeps stuff out.
Had a customer once who insisted on the fanciest shingles money could buy—Malarkey, in fact—but didn’t want to touch the old, rusted-out vents or replace the ancient underlayment. Fast forward two years, and he’s calling me about leaks around the chimney. Doesn’t matter how tough your shingles are if water’s sneaking in elsewhere. Curious if anyone here has actually had critters or wind get past a “premium” shingle setup, or is it usually the stuff underneath that fails first?
Doesn’t matter how tough your shingles are if water’s sneaking in elsewhere.
That line nails it. I’ve seen Malarkey and CertainTeed both get blamed for leaks when it was really the old felt or flashing giving up. Had a raccoon squeeze through a busted vent once—shingles looked brand new, but the attic was a disaster. I’d say most “premium” setups fail from what’s underneath or around, not the shingles themselves. Even the fanciest roof is only as good as its weakest link... usually some ancient metal or rotten wood hiding out under there.
Even the fanciest roof is only as good as its weakest link... usually some ancient metal or rotten wood hiding out under there.
That’s the truth. Folks get so hung up on the shingle brand—Malarkey, CertainTeed, whatever—but if your flashing’s from the Nixon era or you’ve got plywood that’s gone soft, it won’t matter what’s on top. I’ve seen “zombie” roofs (the ones that just won’t die) with basic 3-tabs outlast fancy setups just because the underlayment and flashing were solid and someone actually checked the vents once in a while.
Had a job after a hailstorm where the shingles looked like they’d been through a blender, but the real problem was a squirrel had chewed through an old lead boot. Water was pouring in, but everyone wanted to blame the shingles. Sometimes it’s not about surviving zombies or solar flares—it’s about whether your roofer bothered to replace that sketchy valley metal.
If you’re prepping for apocalypse-level stuff, I’d say focus on what’s under the hood first. Shingles are just the paint job.