Swapping Out Roof Vent Boots With The Seasons—Worth The Hassle?

- Gotta agree, silicone boots hold up way better than the old-school rubber, especially when the weather can't make up its mind.
-

Only catch is, squirrels seem to love gnawing on them for some reason...

- Here’s my thing: swapping boots every season feels like overkill unless you’re getting leaks or critter damage. I’ve had the same silicone ones on for three winters now—just had to patch one spot where a squirrel got ambitious.

- Anyone else notice the color fades after a couple years? Not a dealbreaker, but my boots started off black and now they’re a weird purple-grey. Maybe it’s just Midwest UV, maybe it’s squirrel spit.

- Curious—has anyone tried those metal storm collars over silicone boots? Wondering if that actually stops the gnawing or just gives the squirrels a new challenge.

I’ve noticed the color shift too—mine went from black to this odd bluish-grey after just two summers. Midwest sun seems brutal on everything. Haven’t tried storm collars yet, but honestly, I’d worry squirrels would just treat them like a jungle gym. I’m leaning toward just patching as needed instead of swapping every year... feels less wasteful.

That color shift is wild, right? I had the same thing happen—mine started out a deep black and faded to this weird purple-ish grey by the end of the second summer. Midwest sun just eats through everything, it seems. My neighbor jokes that if you leave anything plastic outside around here, it’ll look vintage in six months.

I hear you on the storm collars. I actually tried those one year after a raccoon chewed up one of my old boots, thinking maybe it’d keep critters off. Didn’t make much difference—squirrels still found a way to hang out up there, and honestly, it just gave them something new to mess with. Plus, crawling around on the roof every spring and fall isn’t exactly my idea of fun.

Patching as you go makes sense to me. I’ve been doing that for a while now—just slapping on some roof sealant when I spot a crack or a little split. It’s not pretty, but it keeps the leaks out and saves money compared to replacing boots all the time. I get wanting to avoid waste too. Those things aren’t cheap, and tossing them every year feels wrong when a little patchwork does the trick.

Only downside is you have to stay on top of checking them after storms or heavy winds, but I’d rather do that than keep buying new ones. The only time I did a full swap was when we had hail come through and just destroyed everything up there. Otherwise, patching’s held up fine.

Anyway, sounds like you’re thinking along the right lines—no need to overcomplicate it if patching works for your setup. Just gotta keep an eye out for those sneaky leaks after big weather swings... Midwest roofs don’t catch much of a break!

You’re not alone with those color changes—my own vent boots went from jet black to a faded, almost chalky blue-grey in less than two years. I’ve always wondered if the manufacturers actually test these materials under real Midwest sun or just hope nobody notices the fading. Between the UV and temperature swings, it’s almost impressive anything up there lasts more than a few seasons.

I get what you’re saying about storm collars and critters. I tried wrapping some hardware cloth around the base of mine one year after a squirrel chewed straight through a supposedly “critter-proof” boot. It slowed them down for maybe a month, but by fall, they’d figured out how to get past it anyway. At this point, I’m convinced squirrels are smarter than half the people selling roof accessories.

Patching has been my go-to as well. I use that thick elastomeric sealant—sure, it looks like a mess after a while, but it’s kept things dry so far. Like you said, it’s not pretty, but unless you’ve got some HOA breathing down your neck about aesthetics, who cares? The only time I bother with a full replacement is when there’s actual structural damage or when hail takes out more than just the boots.

Staying on top of inspections is definitely the tradeoff. There’s no way around that if you want to avoid bigger issues. I keep a cheap pair of binoculars handy so I can check for splits or missing chunks from the ground after storms—beats dragging out the ladder every time.

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the seasonal swapping is just overkill for most folks. Unless you’re dealing with constant leaks or have some unique design flaw, patching and monitoring seems like a reasonable balance between maintenance and sanity. Not sure there’s ever going to be a perfect solution for Midwest roofs, but your approach sounds practical given what we’re up against weather-wise. Wouldn’t mind if someone came up with a boot material that actually lasted more than three years though...

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the seasonal swapping is just overkill for most folks. Unless you’re dealing with constant leaks or have some unique design flaw, patching and monitoring seems like a reasonable balance between maintenance and sanity.

That’s pretty much where I’ve landed too. I can’t justify the cost or hassle of swapping boots every year, especially when half the time it’s just cosmetic fading. I mean, do these companies actually expect us to treat boots like disposable razors? The critter problem is real though—last spring I found a chipmunk had made a nest right under a patched boot. Didn’t even know they could squeeze in there. Makes me wonder if paying extra for “premium” boots is actually worth it or just marketing fluff.