I’m curious, do you ever have to reseal around the silicone boots, or do they stay watertight on their own?
Honestly, the silicone ones hold up way better for me—haven’t had to reseal yet after three winters (and our weather’s all over the place). They flex with the temp swings, so no cracking like the old rubber. As for snow guards, I tried them once... ended up with ice dams in weird spots. Sometimes it feels like they’re more trouble than they’re worth, especially on lower slopes.
I’ve had the same experience with silicone boots—they just seem to last. I put mine on about four years ago and haven’t touched them since, even after a couple of nasty freeze-thaw cycles. The old rubber ones would always split or get brittle by spring. As for snow guards, I’m with you... tried them on my garage roof (low pitch), and it actually made things worse with weird ice buildup. Maybe they’re better suited for steeper roofs?
