I hear you on the spray stuff. I was pretty skeptical at first too, but when we had a chunk of shingles peel up after a windstorm last spring, I grabbed a can just to see if it’d buy us some time. It definitely wasn’t a miracle fix, but it kept things dry through a couple of heavy rains. I figure, as long as you’re realistic about what it can (and can’t) do, it’s not the worst band-aid. Like, I wouldn’t trust it for more than a season or two, but sometimes you just need to get by until you can actually budget for a proper repair.
Funny thing, I thought I’d be up there every week checking for leaks, but it’s held up better than expected. Still, I’m not getting too comfortable—our weather’s all over the place, and I’ve learned the hard way that roofs love to surprise you right when you think you’re in the clear. Anyway, I’m with you: not a long-term fix, but sometimes you gotta work with what you’ve got.
I get the appeal of the spray stuff for a quick fix, but I gotta admit, I had a bad experience with it a couple years back. Used it on my garage roof thinking it'd hold until summer, but the first big freeze and thaw cycle, it peeled right off like a sticker. Maybe it's our Midwest weather or maybe I just got a dud can, but now I stick to those roll-on patch kits or just slap a tarp up if I’m desperate. Not pretty, but at least I know what to expect.
Yeah, I hear you on the spray stuff. I tried it once on a patch over my porch roof—looked fine at first, but after a couple storms and a cold snap, it just sort of bubbled up and flaked off. Midwest weather is brutal on anything that’s not really stuck down tight. I’ve had better luck with those thick, brush-on sealants too. They’re messy, but at least they seem to last through a winter or two.
Honestly, I’ve gotten to the point where I just keep a roll of that heavy-duty roofing tape and a blue tarp in the garage. Not exactly curb appeal, but when you’re trying to keep water out until you can afford a real fix, it does the job. My neighbor swears by the peel-and-stick patches, but I always worry they’ll just peel right off like the spray did.
It’s wild how much trial and error goes into keeping an old roof together. Sometimes I think the only thing holding mine up is stubbornness and duct tape...
Honestly, I think the peel-and-stick patches get a bad rap. I've used them on some pretty rough spots—flat roofs, weird seams—and as long as you prep the area right and slap them down before it gets really cold, they've held up better than expected. The key is making sure everything's bone dry, which I know is tough half the year around here. Tarps are fine in a pinch, but I’ve seen more water sneak in from a loose tarp than from a failed patch. Sometimes the low-tech stuff just makes a mess or gets you flagged by the HOA...
Honestly, I think the peel-and-stick patches get a bad rap. I've used them on some pretty rough spots—flat roofs, weird seams—and as long as you prep the area right and slap them down before it...
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had mixed luck with peel-and-stick patches, especially on older asphalt shingles. Even with good prep, a couple spots started peeling up after the first freeze/thaw cycle. Maybe it’s just our Midwest weather, but I trust a proper shingle replacement more for anything long-term. Tarps are a pain, sure, but at least you know what you’re dealing with—patches can hide problems until it’s too late.
