Last fall I tried a hybrid patch on a small section of rolled roofing that kept cracking every spring. I did the usual—scraped off the crud, made sure it was bone dry, even hit it with a heat gun for good measure. The hybrid stuff went on smoother than the old cold-applied, but honestly, after one winter, I’m seeing the edges lift again. Maybe it’s still better than the basic cold patch, but I’m not convinced it replaces hot-applied for anything serious. Prep seems to matter more than whatever you smear on top, at least in my experience.
- Seen this a lot on rolled roofing, especially where winters are rough. Even with solid prep, those hybrid patches just don’t seem to have the grip long-term, at least not like hot-applied.
- I’ve noticed edge lift is worse if there’s any movement in the substrate. Sometimes it’s not just the patch or the product, but the decking flexing under freeze/thaw cycles.
- Did you check for any soft spots or delam under that section? I’ve seen folks patch over what looks solid, but the wood underneath is spongy from old leaks or condensation. That’ll make anything lift, no matter how good the prep.
- For me, hot-applied’s still king for anything that needs to last more than a season or two. Messier, yeah, but it actually bonds.
- Curious—what’s your climate like? Up here (northern Midwest), we get wild temp swings and ice damming, so I’m always fighting expansion and contraction.
- I’ve also had better luck with fabric reinforcement in the patch, even with hybrids. It’s a pain to embed, but it seems to help with cracking and edge lift.
- Ever tried a torch-down patch instead? Not for everyone, but if you’re comfortable with it, the bond is way better than any cold or hybrid stuff I’ve used.
- At the end of the day, seems like rolled roofing’s just not built for the long haul in tough climates. I’m always patching, never really fixing.
How big was the area you patched? Sometimes size makes a difference—small patches seem to fail faster for me, maybe because there’s less overlap to grab onto.
At the end of the day, seems like rolled roofing’s just not built for the long haul in tough climates. I’m always patching, never really fixing.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually had a bit of a different experience with rolled roofing—at least on smaller, low-traffic roofs. I manage a handful of older duplexes in the mid-Atlantic, and while our winters aren’t as brutal as the Midwest, we still get enough freeze/thaw to make things interesting. I used to be in the “hot-applied or bust” camp, but after a few years of chasing leaks, I started experimenting with some of the newer cold-applied systems and even a couple of those self-adhered membranes.
Honestly, I’ve had a couple patches last 5+ years, but only when I really went overboard on the prep. Like, not just scraping and priming, but pulling up a good foot of the old material around the bad spot, checking for any hint of soft decking, and then feathering the patch way past what felt necessary. It’s a pain, and I get why most folks don’t bother, but it seemed to help. I also started using a double layer of fabric reinforcement—one embedded in the first coat, then another on top before the final layer. Overkill? Maybe, but it’s held up better than I expected.
I do agree that substrate movement is a killer. Had one roof where the decking was just a little spongy from years of condensation, and nothing stuck for more than a season. Ended up having to replace a whole section of sheathing before anything would hold.
Torch-down is great if you’re set up for it, but I’ve had insurance folks get twitchy about open flames, especially on older wood structures. Plus, not every crew is comfortable with it, and I’ve seen some pretty sketchy torch jobs go sideways.
I guess my take is, rolled roofing isn’t ideal, but with enough prep and reinforcement, you can squeeze a few more years out of it—at least in milder climates. But yeah, if you’re up north with wild temp swings, I can see why you’d feel like you’re just treading water. Sometimes it feels like you’re just buying time until the next full tear-off.
- Rolled roofing’s always felt like a band-aid to me, but I’ve seen it limp along for years if you baby it.
- Prep is everything—skip that and you’re patching again next season.
- Had a customer once who tried torch-down on a windy day... let’s just say the fire department got a new story out of it.
- Insurance folks definitely get nervous about open flames, especially on old wood.
- If the decking’s soft, nothing sticks—might as well toss your patch kit in the trash.
- For mild climates and low-traffic spots, I’ll admit, rolled roofing can hang in there longer than folks expect.
- Still, feels like you’re always one storm away from another headache.
Rolled roofing really is one of those “it’ll do for now” options, but I’ve seen it outlast expectations if you’re on top of maintenance. Biggest thing I tell folks is: check it after every storm, no matter how minor. Look for lifted seams, pooling water, or soft spots—those are early warning signs. If you catch a bubble or crack, patch it right away and use a roller to press it down. And yeah, prepping the surface is huge. Skipping that step is just asking for leaks next season. I’ve seen too many people try to shortcut and end up with a bigger mess.
