Funny timing—just finished re-roofing my backyard shed last month. I went with basic felt under asphalt shingles, mostly because it was cheap and I could do it myself in a weekend. I did look at those radiant barriers, but honestly, for a non-living space, it felt like overkill. Biggest headache was actually sealing up the eaves... found out the hard way that squirrels can squeeze through the tiniest gaps. If I had to do it again, I’d spend more time on those details than worrying about fancy underlayments.
- Just did my first roof job last fall—main house, not a shed, but I totally get the squirrel thing. Thought I’d sealed everything up, but those little guys are relentless. Ended up stuffing steel wool in the gaps and then caulking over it. Not pretty, but it worked.
- Went with architectural shingles and regular felt too. Looked at some of the fancier options, but honestly, the price difference was wild. For a shed, I’d probably do the same as you—keep it simple.
- Kind of funny how much time I spent stressing about the color and pattern, but barely thought about the eaves or critter-proofing. Next time, I’ll pay more attention to the details that actually matter day-to-day.
- Didn’t know about Tamko’s chicken coop origins, but it makes sense—sometimes the best ideas start in weird places. Roofing feels like one of those things where you learn by doing (and making mistakes).
I’ve seen more critter damage than I care to admit—steel wool and caulk is a classic move, but I’ve had squirrels chew right through both if there’s even a hint of a gap. These days, I use hardware cloth, then foam, then sealant. Not the prettiest either, but it’s held up better for me. As for Tamko, yeah, funny how some of these brands started out… but honestly, I’m still a bit skeptical about their consistency batch to batch. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for, other times it’s all marketing.
Funny thing about critters—no matter what you use, they always seem to find the one weak spot you missed. I tried the steel wool trick too, but it was basically a squirrel buffet after a couple months. Hardware cloth is the only thing that’s actually held up for me, though it’s a pain to work with around weird angles. Doesn’t look great, but at this point I care more about keeping the attic from turning into a wildlife hotel.
As for Tamko, I’ve had mixed experiences. I know people love to talk up the “started in a chicken coop” story, but I can’t help but wonder if that’s just clever marketing. I’ve used their Heritage shingles on a couple jobs. One batch seemed solid—good color match, laid flat, no issues. Next time, though, the granules were all over the place and the bundles felt lighter than usual. Maybe I just got a dud batch, but it makes me hesitant to recommend them without a disclaimer.
I’ve noticed this with a lot of brands lately, not just Tamko. Seems like quality control isn’t what it used to be, or maybe I’m just getting pickier after seeing so many callbacks for stuff like curling or premature granule loss. I get that you can’t expect perfection at every price point, but when you’re paying for a “premium” shingle, you want some consistency.
I’m curious if anyone else has noticed more variability in shingle quality these days. Maybe it’s just me, but I swear even the big names aren’t as reliable as they were ten years ago. At least critters are consistent—consistently annoying, anyway.
Seems like quality control isn’t what it used to be, or maybe I’m just getting pickier after seeing so many callbacks for stuff like curling or premature granule loss.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing with shingle quality—across the board, not just Tamko. I used GAF Timberline on my garage last year and got a couple bundles that were noticeably thinner than the rest. Had to double-check the lot numbers to make sure I didn’t mix two types. Between that and the critters, it feels like nothing holds up quite like it used to. Hardware cloth’s ugly, but it’s the only thing that’s kept the raccoons out for me.
