"manufacturers probably test their products in ideal conditions (which none of us actually have)"
True, but honestly I've seen some cheaper underlayments hold up surprisingly well. My uncle slapped on budget stuff years ago—zero maintenance, questionable install—and it's still kicking. Luck of the draw maybe?
Yeah, there's definitely some randomness involved. My folks had their roof redone a while back, and they went with a pretty reputable brand for underlayment—supposed to last decades. But after maybe 8 years, we were up there patching leaks after a rough winter. Meanwhile, their neighbor used some no-name stuff from a clearance sale, and it's still holding strong. Sometimes I think roofs just have minds of their own...
- Definitely some luck involved, but proper attic ventilation matters a ton too.
- Had similar issues until I added ridge vents—no leaks since.
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Haha, feels that way, but usually there's a hidden reason."Sometimes I think roofs just have minds of their own..."
"Definitely some luck involved, but proper attic ventilation matters a ton too."
Yeah, ventilation's huge. But honestly, I think manufacturers oversell underlayments big-time. Mine started acting up way before the warranty said it would... sometimes feels like homeownership is just endless detective work.
Totally get the frustration—underlayments rarely hit those warranty marks. But honestly, it's usually not just the product itself. Even a top-tier underlayment can fail early if the install wasn't spot-on or ventilation wasn't dialed in. I've seen roofs with premium materials go south fast because of overlooked attic airflow issues. It's like baking a cake—doesn't matter how fancy your ingredients are if you mess up the oven temp, right?
