I’m with you—unless your boots are literally crumbling or you live where the sun fries everything in a week, swapping them out every year just sounds like a way to make more work (and trash) for yourself. I’ve got a set on my 90s ranch that’s been up there since before my kids were born, and they’re still kicking. I do a quick check when I’m up there cleaning gutters—if they look rough, I’ll slap some sealant on tiny cracks and call it a day.
Not saying you should ignore them forever, but unless you see daylight or water stains on your ceiling, I’d rather spend my Saturday doing something fun than crawling around the roof swapping out perfectly good boots. Plus, those things aren’t exactly cheap these days… Patch and keep moving, that’s my motto.
Yeah, I hear you. I used to get all worked up about every little crack, but after a few years of chasing leaks that never showed up, I just patch and move on too. My neighbor swaps his boots every other year and honestly, it seems like more trouble than it’s worth unless you’re in Arizona or something. Unless water’s coming in, I’d rather be fishing.
