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.
I get where you’re coming from. Honestly, unless you’re seeing water stains or actual drips, swapping boots every year feels like overkill. I usually just check for dry rot or big cracks, slap on some sealant if it’s minor, and keep an eye out after storms. If it ain’t leaking, I’d rather spend my Saturday doing just about anything else.
I get wanting to avoid extra work, but I’ve learned the hard way that waiting for leaks can get expensive fast. Had a small crack in a boot last year—didn’t notice until water started staining the ceiling. By then, it was a whole drywall repair, not just a $10 boot. I’m not saying swap them every year, but I do a more thorough check every spring, especially since our weather’s all over the place. Sometimes a little preventative work saves a lot of cash and headaches down the line.
Man, I hear you on the “small crack turns into big headache” thing. Last spring I thought a little split in the boot was no big deal… until I found a surprise puddle in my attic. Now I just give ‘em a quick look when I’m up there—beats drywall patching any day. Weather here’s nuts too, so those boots take a beating.