I’m with you—silicone boots definitely outlast the old-school black rubber ones, but “forever” is a big promise, especially around here. I put some on my ranch in southern Wisconsin about five years back. They’re still doing their job, but they look like they’ve seen a few too many winters. Color’s faded, and they’re not as flexible as when I first put them on, but no leaks or cracks yet. That’s more than I can say for the rubber ones, which barely made it three years before splitting.
Honestly, I’d rather deal with a little fading than drag out the ladder every other season. Midwest freeze-thaw cycles are brutal—nothing really lasts as long as the packaging claims. If you’re hoping to never touch your roof again, you’ll probably be disappointed. But if you just want to stretch out the time between replacements, silicone’s worth the extra bucks. Just don’t expect miracles... unless you’ve got a magic roof I don’t know about.
If you’re hoping to never touch your roof again, you’ll probably be disappointed. But if you just want to stretch out the time between replacements, silicone’s worth the extra bucks.
I get the appeal of stretching out replacements, but I’m not convinced the extra cost is always worth it. I’ve got a low-pitch roof and honestly, swapping out the cheaper rubber ones every few years hasn’t been that big a deal—especially since I’m already up there clearing gutters anyway. Is the price jump for silicone really justified if you’re already doing regular maintenance? Maybe for steep or hard-to-reach roofs, but for some of us, the math doesn’t quite add up.
I’m kinda in the same boat—my place has a low-slope roof too, and honestly, I just grab a handful of those basic rubber boots every few years when I’m already up there for leaves and random repairs. Never really felt like the extra spend on silicone was worth it, at least not for my setup. Maybe if I had a two-story or something with crazy angles, but for now, swapping them out hasn’t been much hassle.
Curious though—has anyone noticed the rubber ones breaking down faster in certain climates? I’m in the Midwest and they seem to last 4-5 years before they start cracking. Wondering if folks in hotter spots see them fail quicker, or if it’s about the same everywhere.
Curious though—has anyone noticed the rubber ones breaking down faster in certain climates? I’m in the Midwest and they seem to last 4-5 years before they start cracking.
I’ve seen a lot of those rubber boots go brittle way quicker down south, especially on roofs that get hammered by sun all day. Texas and Arizona, for example, you’re lucky to get three years before they start splitting. Midwest is a bit more forgiving, but even then, UV just eats them up over time. I get why folks stick with the cheap ones, but I’ve seen enough leaks from cracked boots that I’m a little wary. Silicone’s pricey, but it does hold up better if you hate climbing up there every few years.
I’m in the Midwest too and mine cracked after about 5 years, just like you said. I tried one of those “lifetime” rubber boots last time, but honestly, it didn’t last much longer. Has anyone actually had luck with the metal or silicone ones? Wondering if it’s worth the extra cost up front or if they just all end up failing eventually.