I’m skeptical about “lifetime” claims, but silicone does seem to hold up better in wild temps.
I hear you on the “lifetime” promises—had a so-called 30-year shingle that barely made it 15. I went with EPDM boots last time, since the price was way lower, and honestly, they’ve held up fine for about 6 years now. My roof’s a 10/12 pitch, so I’m not thrilled about climbing up there either, but I figure if I’m already up for other maintenance, swapping a boot isn’t the end of the world. Sometimes I wonder if the pricier stuff is just peace of mind more than real value, especially if you’re handy and don’t mind the occasional fix.
I get what you mean about the “lifetime” stuff—feels like marketing half the time. I’m in my first place and honestly, I went with the cheaper EPDM boots too. Haven’t had any leaks yet, but I do wonder if I’ll regret not going silicone down the line. My roof’s only a 6/12, but even then, getting up there isn’t my idea of fun. Is it really worth paying double for something that might last a few years longer, or am I just overthinking it?
I went with EPDM boots on my place too, mainly because I just couldn’t justify the extra cost for silicone at the time. My roof’s a 5/12, so not super steep, but still enough to make me think twice about climbing up there unless I really have to. It’s been about four years and so far, no leaks or cracks—though I do check them every spring after the snow melts.
Honestly, I’ve always wondered if the “lifetime” claims are more hype than reality. My neighbor shelled out for silicone boots and swears by them, but he’s also the type who replaces his gutters every couple years just in case. For me, I figure as long as I keep an eye out for wear and tear, swapping out an EPDM boot isn’t that big of a deal if it eventually fails. Plus, with our Midwest weather swinging from freezing to blazing hot, even the pricier stuff seems to age faster than advertised.
Is it worth paying double? Maybe if you hate ladders or plan on never touching your roof again... Otherwise, I’d say you’re probably fine sticking with what you’ve got until you see signs of trouble.
I hear you on the “lifetime” claims—seen plenty of those boots crack or shrink way before their supposed expiration date, especially after a couple nasty hailstorms. EPDM’s held up fine for me too, as long as I keep an eye out each spring. Honestly, unless you’re allergic to ladders or planning to sell soon, I’d say your approach makes sense. Sometimes the peace of mind isn’t worth double the price tag.
Those “lifetime” boots always make me laugh a bit—I've seen them go brittle in under five years after a couple bad storms. One spring, I found three cracked boots on my own roof after a hailstorm, and that was the so-called premium stuff. What’s worked for me is just making it part of my seasonal checklist: every spring and fall, I get up there, check for splits or shrinkage around the vent stacks, and swap any that look sketchy. EPDM rubber does seem to handle the temperature swings better, at least where I am (Midwest, lots of freeze-thaw).
Honestly, unless you’re really dreading the ladder work, keeping up with it saves headaches down the line. I tried those pricier “hail-resistant” models once—didn’t notice much difference after a couple years, except my wallet felt lighter. If you’re comfortable doing the swap yourself, it’s pretty straightforward: loosen the shingles around the boot, slide out the old one, position the new boot, and tuck everything back in place. Just don’t skip sealing any nail heads you expose. I’d rather spend 20 minutes every spring than deal with ceiling stains or mold later...
