Once you start messing with those, it’s hard to guarantee you won’t end up with a leak down the line—flashing can only do so much if the base material is already compromised.
That’s been my experience too. I put a roof fan in about ten years ago, thinking it’d be a quick upgrade. The shingles were maybe 15 years old at the time, and even though I thought I did everything right with the flashing and sealant, I still ended up chasing a slow leak around the vent collar a couple years later. Nothing major, but just enough to stain the ceiling and drive me nuts every time it rained hard.
Switched to a gable fan when we re-sided, and it’s been way less hassle. I do agree with you on the airflow—my attic’s weirdly shaped, so I had to experiment with blocking a couple vents to get the air moving the right way. It’s not always as simple as just adding a fan and calling it good.
If your shingles are already showing their age, I’d be wary of cutting into them unless you’re ready for more roof work down the road. Gable mount isn’t perfect, but it’s less risky in my book.
Yeah, I hear you on the leaks. I tried a roof fan install on my old place and even with new flashing, it was just one more spot for water to sneak in—especially after a few freeze-thaw cycles. Gable fans are easier to swap out or maintain too, at least for me. Only downside is if your attic’s got weird airflow, like you said, it can take some trial and error to get it dialed in. Still beats patching shingles every couple years...
I tried a roof fan install on my old place and even with new flashing, it was just one more spot for water to sneak in—especially after a few freeze-thaw cycles.
I’ve seen a lot of “just one more spot for water to sneak in” over the years, especially with older roofs that already have a few battle scars. One place had a roof fan that looked fine from below, but after a couple winters, the plywood around it was mush. Gable fans might not be perfect for airflow, but at least you’re not cutting another hole in your roof. Still, I’ve run into a few attics where the gable fan just pushed hot air in circles because of weird vent placement—sometimes it’s a puzzle figuring out what’ll actually work.
Had a similar headache with a roof fan on my last place—thought I did everything right with the flashing and sealant, but after a couple years, I noticed a brown stain creeping across the bedroom ceiling. Turns out, water found its way in around the fan during a rough winter. Ended up patching the roof and switching to a gable fan. Not perfect, but at least I’m not stressing every time it rains or freezes. Airflow’s not amazing, but I’ll take that over another leak repair bill.
Swapped out a roof fan for a gable one too, after a nasty leak right over my kid’s room. I’m in the Midwest, so freeze-thaw cycles just wreck those roof penetrations. Gable fan isn’t perfect, but I’d rather deal with a little heat than water stains and drywall repairs. Always feels like a trade-off, honestly.
