That freeze/thaw cycle is brutal, I hear you. I’ve seen a lot of folks try to patch things up with sealant, but if the decking’s already soft, it’s kind of like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. Once moisture gets in, it just keeps spreading under the shingles. Had a place last year where a tiny crack turned into a whole section of mushy plywood by spring... not fun to replace. Sometimes those “quick fixes” end up costing more in the long run, especially around here.
if the decking’s already soft, it’s kind of like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg.
That’s exactly it. I see people reach for the tube of sealant every time there’s a crack, but if the wood underneath is already compromised, you’re just trapping moisture in and speeding up rot. Around here (upper Midwest), that freeze/thaw cycle will find any weakness and make it ten times worse by spring.
I get why folks want to avoid a full repair—cost, hassle, whatever—but I’ve torn off roofs where someone kept patching with sealant and by the time we got to it, half the sheathing was black mush. Sometimes you can get away with a dab of sealant if it’s just a surface crack and everything else is solid, but that’s rare in my experience.
Curious if anyone’s had luck with those newer flexible roof tapes instead of liquid sealant? I’ve seen mixed results—sometimes they hold up better, sometimes they peel right off after one winter. Wondering if it’s just our climate or if installation makes all the difference.