Good points, but I'm wondering if anyone's noticed a difference with roofing materials themselves lately. Seems like shingles used to last decades without much fuss, but now they're curling and cracking way sooner. Could it be manufacturers cutting corners or maybe changes in weather patterns speeding things up? Curious if anyone's looked into the actual quality of shingles these days...
I've noticed something similar with my own roof. When we first bought our house, the shingles were already 15 years old and still looked pretty decent. Fast forward to replacing them about 7 years ago, and now they're already curling at the edges and looking rough. Makes me wonder if it's a quality issue or maybe the materials they're using now just don't hold up as well to sun and rain. Or maybe I'm just getting old and cranky about roofs...
"Makes me wonder if it's a quality issue or maybe the materials they're using now just don't hold up as well to sun and rain."
I've definitely noticed this too. Had a property where the original shingles lasted nearly 20 years, but the replacements started looking shabby after just 8 or 9. I asked around, and a roofer friend mentioned manufacturers have changed their formulas to cut costs and meet environmental regs. So maybe you're not just getting cranky—roofs really aren't what they used to be...
Honestly, I think it's less about the materials and more about installation quality. I've seen roofs with supposedly "cheap" shingles hold up fine for 15+ years because the crew knew what they were doing. On the flip side, I've torn off roofs that were barely 5 years old and already leaking because someone cut corners on flashing or ventilation. Materials matter, sure, but workmanship is the real difference-maker in my experience.
You're definitely onto something with workmanship, but I wouldn't totally dismiss materials either. I've seen plenty of roofs fail prematurely because even a skilled crew couldn't make up for poor-quality shingles or underlayment. It's true that proper flashing, ventilation, and installation technique are critical—no argument there—but cheap materials can degrade faster under harsh weather conditions, UV exposure, or temperature swings.
One thing I've noticed is that some newer products marketed as "long-lasting" or "premium" don't always live up to their claims. A friend of mine installed supposedly high-end shingles that started curling badly after just 7 years, despite meticulous installation. So yeah, good installation can stretch the lifespan significantly, but it still pays to be skeptical about material quality and do your homework before committing to a product.
