Ice dams are still a pain, though. I tried those heated cables—felt like I was wrapping Christmas lights around the house in February. Not sure if they helped or just made the squirrels curious.
Heated cables are such a mixed bag. I’ve seen them work wonders on some houses, but on others, it’s like you’re just giving the ice a new place to hang out. Sometimes they even make things worse if your insulation and ventilation aren’t dialed in first.
About synthetic shingles—I’ve inspected a few roofs with them, and honestly, I’m not totally sold yet. They’re lighter, yeah, and some brands claim 50-year lifespans, but I’ve seen a couple start curling or fading after just a few years (especially on south-facing slopes). Plus, repairs can get tricky since not every roofer is familiar with them.
I get the appeal of less weight and longer warranties, but sometimes tried-and-true asphalt is just less hassle in the long run. Synthetic might be worth it if you’re planning to stay put for decades, but if you’re thinking resale or easy fixes down the road... might want to weigh that against the upfront cost.
That’s exactly what I’ve noticed with synthetics—looks great on paper, but in real life, you get weird issues like premature curling or color shifts. Did you notice any difference in noise during rain or hail with those? Some folks say synthetics amplify sound compared to asphalt.
Yeah, I’ve heard that about synthetics too. On one of my buildings, the rain is definitely louder than with asphalt—almost like a drum. Not unbearable, but noticeable, especially during big storms. Also had a tenant mention it once, so it’s not just my imagination. The color shift thing drives me nuts... looks fine at first, then you get those weird patches after a couple seasons.
That color shift drives me nuts too—especially when you’ve got a nice uniform look at install, then two years later it’s patchy like a calico cat. For the noise, I’ve noticed adding a thicker underlayment can help a bit, but yeah, synthetics just have that “tin roof in a thunderstorm” vibe sometimes. Not much you can do once it’s up there except warn folks ahead of time...
That patchy look drives me up the wall too. I remember when we put new shingles on our place—looked sharp for about a year, then the sun started doing its thing and now it’s like a checkerboard up there. We went with a “weathered wood” color thinking it’d hide dirt and fading, but turns out it just hides nothing once the granules start going. I guess you get what you pay for, but man, I wish someone had warned me about how much those cheaper bundles can vary even within the same lot.
On the noise front, I hear you (literally). We did a metal roof on our shed to save some cash, and every time it rains hard, it sounds like someone’s throwing gravel at it. For the house, we stuck with asphalt because of that. The underlayment trick helps a bit—I used two layers of felt on my buddy’s place and he says it’s not as bad—but honestly, if you’re sensitive to noise, nothing beats good old insulation in the attic.
One thing I learned the hard way: if you’re trying to keep costs down but still want things to look halfway decent after a few years, don’t skimp on the starter strip or edge flashing. My neighbor tried to save by skipping those and now he’s got curling edges and leaks near his gutters. Sometimes spending a little more up front saves you from headaches (and buckets) later.
I do wish there was an easy fix for that color shift though. Maybe someday they’ll invent shingles that fade evenly or something... until then, I guess we just live with the “calico cat” look. At least from the street nobody seems to notice but me.
