Had a tenant once who insisted on installing mesh screening himself—used some cheap stuff from the hardware store. Sure enough, rusted out in less than two years and squirrels moved right back in. Lesson learned: quality matters, shortcuts rarely pay off...
"quality matters, shortcuts rarely pay off..."
Couldn't agree more with this. Seen it happen too many times—folks trying to save a few bucks upfront, only to spend triple later fixing the mess. Reminds me of a homeowner who insisted on using OSB decking because it was cheaper than plywood. Sure, OSB can hold up under ideal conditions, but once moisture gets in (and trust me, eventually it always does), it swells and deteriorates fast. Ended up tearing off half the roof decking after just three years because of leaks and mold.
Bottom line is, roofing isn't where you want to pinch pennies. Quality materials upfront save headaches, time, and money down the road. Better to invest in something solid from the start than deal with costly repairs later...
Yeah, I get your point about OSB, but honestly, plywood isn't always the magic bullet either. When we redid our roof a few years back, budget was tight, and we went with OSB after hearing mixed reviews. We made sure to get decent quality stuff and had proper ventilation installed, figuring that'd help keep moisture at bay.
Fast forward about five years now—no issues yet (knock on wood). I think a lot of it comes down to installation and ventilation, not just the material itself. I've seen plywood roofs fail too when the attic wasn't properly vented. Moisture buildup can wreck any material if it's trapped up there long enough.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for quality, but sometimes it's less about choosing the priciest stuff and more about doing the installation right. If you can afford plywood comfortably, sure, go for it. But if you're tight on cash, I wouldn't completely rule out OSB—just make sure whoever installs it knows what they're doing and doesn't cut corners on ventilation or moisture barriers.
Good points about ventilation—seen plenty of plywood decks rot out because someone skipped proper attic airflow. OSB can hold up fine if installed right, but curious if anyone's noticed differences after storm damage? Heard OSB swells more noticeably when wet...any experiences there?
I've definitely seen OSB swell up more than plywood after heavy rains—had a neighbor whose roof tarp blew off mid-storm, and the OSB underneath puffed up pretty noticeably. Still, with proper installation and good shingles, it's usually solid enough for most situations...just don't skimp on ventilation!
