Couldn't agree more on the attic ventilation point. It's funny how often people overlook it—like, everyone gets caught up in shingle brands and warranty lengths, but ventilation? Nah, that's boring stuff, right? Until your roof starts curling like potato chips after just a few years...
Speaking of documentation, I learned the hard way during my first year as an apprentice. We had this one job where the homeowner swore up and down that the shingles were defective. Manufacturer rep came out, took one look, and asked for install photos. Guess who didn't have enough clear shots of the underlayment and flashing details? Yep, us. Warranty claim denied, boss was NOT happy, and I spent the next two weeks snapping photos of literally every nail and seam on every job. Lesson learned.
Another sneaky thing I've noticed is improper nailing patterns. You'd think it's straightforward—nail goes in shingle, shingle stays on roof—but nope. I've seen shingles blow off in moderate winds just because someone got lazy or rushed and didn't follow the manufacturer's specs. And guess what? Warranty won't cover that either. So yeah, documentation and ventilation are key, but don't sleep on proper installation techniques either. It's like a trifecta of roofing wisdom.
Also, random side note: anyone else ever notice how warranty language is written like they're trying to hide buried treasure? Seriously, sometimes I feel like I need a law degree just to figure out what's actually covered.
Totally with you on the warranty fine print thing—it's like they're purposely vague just to wiggle out of covering stuff. Had a similar experience with flashing details myself. Installer skipped proper step flashing around a chimney, and surprise, surprise... water damage city a couple years later. Warranty was useless because of "improper installation." Makes me wonder how many people actually get successful claims from those warranties anyway...
Yeah, warranties often hinge entirely on installation details. Had a similar issue with vent boots—manufacturer blamed the roofer, roofer blamed the product. Ended up footing the bill myself... learned to focus more on installer reputation than warranty promises.
"Ended up footing the bill myself... learned to focus more on installer reputation than warranty promises."
Totally agree with this. As a first-time homeowner, I recently went through something similar:
- Had a leak around the chimney flashing after only a year.
- Manufacturer said it was installed incorrectly, roofer insisted it was faulty flashing material.
- Got stuck in the middle, and of course, neither side budged.
- Ended up hiring someone else altogether to fix it properly.
One thing I've realized is that warranties often sound reassuring at first, but they're only as good as the people backing them. Reputation and reviews of installers seem way more reliable than warranty fine print.
Also, I've started taking photos during installation or repairs now—just in case. Might not solve everything, but at least it's evidence if things go south again.
Homeownership is definitely a learning curve...
I get your point about installer reputation, but honestly, warranties aren't always useless. Had a similar issue with shingles curling prematurely—installer blamed the manufacturer, manufacturer blamed ventilation. Luckily, I had detailed documentation and photos from the install. After some back-and-forth, the manufacturer eventually honored the warranty. So yeah, reputation matters, but solid documentation can sometimes tip the scales in your favor... just my two cents.
