I get why everyone says airflow is important, but I’m still a little skeptical about how much it actually matters for roof splitting. I mean, we bought our first house last year (built in the late 60s, so not exactly modern), and the attic was packed with old suitcases and who knows what else. Sure, a couple soffit vents were blocked, but I figured as long as there wasn’t obvious water damage or mold, it couldn’t be that big of a deal? Maybe I’m just being naive.
What’s weird is, our neighbors have almost the exact same house, but they’re always fussing over attic fans and vent baffles. Meanwhile, our roof survived a crazy hailstorm this spring with barely a scratch. But then again, we did end up with a squirrel family up there for a while—totally get what you mean about them thinking it’s their own place. We had to clear out a ton of chewed insulation and random acorns before patching the hole they made.
I guess I’m just questioning if blocked vents are really the main cause of splitting, or if it’s more about age and weather swings? We’re in Colorado, so it goes from snow to blazing sun pretty quick. Our inspector made a big deal about ventilation too, but honestly it seems like the weather extremes are rougher on the shingles than anything happening inside the attic. Maybe that’s just my lack of experience talking though...
Anyone else notice their roof holding up fine even with less-than-perfect airflow? Or am I setting myself up for trouble down the line? I’ll probably end up clearing out those boxes anyway, just in case, but sometimes it feels like there’s always some new “must-do” thing you hear about once you actually own a house.
I guess I’m just questioning if blocked vents are really the main cause of splitting, or if it’s more about age and weather swings?
I get where you’re coming from. My folks’ place is also a 60s build, and for years their attic vents were half-blocked with insulation and boxes. No leaks or mold, but when they finally cleared it out, the upstairs felt less stuffy and the shingles seemed to last a bit longer before curling. Colorado’s wild weather definitely does a number on roofs, but I’ve seen poor airflow speed up shingle cracking—especially after a cold snap followed by a hot day. Clearing those vents might not fix everything, but it does help keep temps more stable up there.
I’ve managed a few buildings where blocked vents definitely made things worse, but I wouldn’t say they’re the only culprit. Age and wild temp swings are brutal, especially on older asphalt shingles. Sometimes I wonder if the color of the roof plays a role too—darker shingles seem to bake more in the sun, then crack faster when it cools off. Has anyone noticed a difference after switching shingle types or colors?
I actually just bought my first place last year and the roof’s a lighter gray, which I picked mostly for looks, but now I’m glad I did. My neighbor has dark brown shingles and he’s always complaining about how hot his attic gets in the summer. Haven’t noticed any splitting yet on mine, but his have started to curl at the edges. Not sure if it’s just the color or maybe his are older, but it does make me wonder if lighter colors really help with all the temp swings.
That’s actually kind of reassuring to hear, since I also went with a lighter shingle color (mine’s more of a pale taupe) and I was honestly just trying to match the trim. I’ve been worried about how it’ll hold up in our crazy hot summers and cold winters, but so far, so good. My neighbor’s got those almost black shingles and he’s had to replace a couple already from cracking and curling. I do think color makes some difference, especially with attic temps. It’s wild how much hotter his upstairs gets compared to mine.
But yeah, age might be a factor too. I remember the inspector saying darker roofs can wear faster if your attic isn’t ventilated well. I’m still figuring out if my roof vents are doing enough... kind of wish I’d paid more attention to that before moving in. Anyway, sounds like you made a solid choice—here’s hoping both our roofs stay in decent shape for a while.