That’s funny, I had almost the exact same experience with plastic drip edge—looked fine for a year, then the first real cold snap hit and it started curling up like a potato chip. Midwest winters are brutal on anything that isn’t metal. Have you ever tried steel instead of aluminum? I know it’s pricier and can rust if you’re not careful, but I’ve seen some folks swear by it for longevity. Curious if anyone’s had luck with those composite edges too... they claim to be “weatherproof,” but I’m skeptical after my plastic fiasco.
- Had a similar situation with plastic—looked good until the first polar vortex, then it basically shriveled up overnight.
- I’ve used aluminum mostly, but it gets those weird bends if you’re not careful during install... and yeah, dents if you sneeze at it.
- Tried steel on one property—definitely tougher, but I did notice a couple rusty spots after a few years where water pooled. Not a dealbreaker, but something to watch for.
- Haven’t tried composite yet. “Weatherproof” sounds nice, but after seeing what “weatherproof” plastic did, I’m not convinced either.
- Midwest winters just love to test every building material’s marketing claims...
- That “weatherproof” label always cracks me up—Midwest winters will humble any material, no matter what the box says.
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— Story of my life. I’ve seen more than one aluminum drip edge get mangled just from a ladder bump.“aluminum mostly, but it gets those weird bends if you’re not careful during install... and yeah, dents if you sneeze at it.”
- Steel’s definitely tougher, but like you said, rust is a sneaky enemy. If water pools anywhere, it’ll find a way in eventually.
- Haven’t seen composite hold up long-term here yet. Plastic’s a gamble—sometimes it lasts, sometimes it’s toast after one bad freeze.
- Honestly, that metal strip (drip edge) does more than people think—keeps water from sneaking under shingles and rotting out the fascia. Not glamorous, but when it fails, you notice fast.
- I get why people swear by drip edge, but honestly, my place didn’t have one for years (old house, previous owner cut corners) and the fascia held up okay—at least until we had a stretch of ice dams two winters ago. After that, yeah, water found its way in and I was patching up rot.
- Noticed with some of the newer composite stuff, if you install it right and keep gutters clear, it does a decent job. It’s just that one freak freeze or windstorm can mess things up fast.
- Aluminum is so easy to ding—I’ve got a couple spots where the ladder left a permanent reminder. Kind of wish I’d gone steel there, even if rust is a worry.
- For folks with low-slope roofs or heavy snow loads, skipping drip edge seems risky. But on steeper pitches, especially with good overhangs and solid gutters, I’ve seen people get away without it for quite a while.
- Short version: it’s not always a disaster if you don’t have one, but when something goes wrong, you really notice. Learned that the hard way...
