- Haha, glad I'm not alone—I just bought my first house and went mid-range on underlayment.
- Fingers crossed it holds up...but hey, if not, at least I'll have a good story to share later.
I went mid-range on mine too a couple years back, and honestly, it hasn't been terrible...but definitely not as durable as the sales guy promised. Had a nasty storm last spring and ended up with a leak that had me scrambling for buckets at 2 AM. Not exactly fun, but hey, like you said, makes for a good story later. Guess it's one of those things you don't fully appreciate until you're standing there in pajamas, cursing your roof choices.
"Guess it's one of those things you don't fully appreciate until you're standing there in pajamas, cursing your roof choices."
Haha, been there myself more times than I'd like to admit. A few years back, we had a similar situation at one of the properties I manage. We went with a pretty reputable brand, solid mid-range underlayment, and everything seemed fine...until it wasn't. One particularly nasty winter storm later, I got a frantic call from a tenant at midnight about water dripping through their ceiling fan. Spent the next hour hauling buckets and towels up three flights of stairs in freezing temps—not exactly my idea of a relaxing evening.
Honestly, though, I've found that durability claims rarely match real-world conditions. Weather extremes, installation quality, ventilation—so many factors come into play that sales pitches just can't fully account for. You're definitely not alone in this experience. At least these moments make for entertaining anecdotes later on...after you've dried off and warmed up, of course.
I've noticed that too—had a similar issue a couple years back. Followed the manufacturer's instructions exactly, yet still ended up chasing leaks after heavy rain. Makes me wonder if lab conditions ever match real-world weather...or maybe we're just unlucky, haha.
"Makes me wonder if lab conditions ever match real-world weather...or maybe we're just unlucky, haha."
You're definitely onto something there. I've installed countless roofs over the past two decades, and I swear, sometimes the underlayment lifespan claims feel more like wishful thinking than reality. Had one job where we followed every step meticulously—manufacturer's specs, perfect weather during install—and still, after a particularly rough winter, leaks popped up. Real-world conditions are just never as predictable as labs. Makes me skeptical whenever I see those "guaranteed" lifespans printed on packaging...
