Took maybe an hour, tops. I looked into metal too, but the price tag made me wince.
- Quick fixes are great, but I always remind folks:
- Check for cracked or missing underlayment while you’re at it.
- “Asphalt might not be the prettiest, but when you’re on a budget and need to fix things fast, it’s hard to beat.” — can’t argue with that, but keep an eye out for granule loss.
- Metal’s pricey, but I’ve seen it outlast three asphalt roofs in the same neighborhood.
- If you’re patching every year, might be time to rethink the whole thing.
- Funny how a company can go from a chicken coop to covering half the houses in town... roofs and roots, I guess.
Metal’s pricey, but I’ve seen it outlast three asphalt roofs in the same neighborhood.
That’s been my experience too, but I get the sticker shock. If you’re patching asphalt, I’d suggest taking a look at recycled or “cool” shingles next time you’re due for a bigger job. They’re not as cheap as basic asphalt, but they reflect more heat and last a bit longer—plus, less landfill waste. I swapped mine out after a string of summer leaks and my attic’s noticeably cooler now. Not perfect, but a step up if metal’s out of reach.
I swapped mine out after a string of summer leaks and my attic’s noticeably cooler now.
Did you notice any difference in noise with the cool shingles? I’ve had a couple clients mention that hail or heavy rain sounds different depending on what shingle type they pick. Just curious if you picked up on that too, or if it’s more of an insulation thing.
I’ve actually had a few folks mention the same thing about noise, especially after switching to those lighter “cool” shingles. In my experience, the sound difference is pretty subtle unless you’re really listening for it. Most of the time, the attic insulation does more to muffle hail or heavy rain than the shingle type itself. That said, I did have one customer with a low-slope roof and minimal insulation who swore the new shingles made storms sound a bit sharper—almost like the rain was hitting metal, even though it was still asphalt. Could’ve just been the thinner underlayment, though.
It’s funny, because people expect the “cool” shingles to be quieter since they’re newer tech, but I haven’t noticed a big shift either way. If anything, the biggest noise jump I’ve seen is when someone goes from old, worn-out shingles to a fresh install—everything just sounds different for a while. Maybe it’s just the change, not the material.
Out of curiosity, what kind of attic insulation are you working with? I’ve seen a lot of folks in older homes with just a few inches of blown-in, and that can make a world of difference for both temperature and noise. Sometimes folks blame the shingles when it’s really what’s underneath that matters most.
That’s been my experience too—insulation seems to make a much bigger difference in noise than the type of shingle. I manage a few buildings from the 60s and 70s, and most of them started out with barely any attic insulation. When we upgraded to thicker batts or added blown-in cellulose, the change in both temperature and sound was way more noticeable than when we swapped out the shingles.
I do think people get thrown off by the “cool” label, expecting them to be quieter or somehow more high-tech in every way. But honestly, the only time I’ve really noticed a big jump in noise is right after a new roof goes on—probably just because you get used to the old, worn-out sound, and then suddenly it’s different. Kind of like when you change out old windows and suddenly every car that goes by sounds different for a while.
One thing I’ve run into is that the underlayment can matter more than folks realize. Had a place where the crew used a thinner synthetic underlayment, and during heavy rain it almost sounded like the roof was amplifying the drops. We ended up adding a layer of rigid foam under the rafters, and that helped a ton. Not cheap, but it made the upstairs bedrooms way more comfortable.
Funny enough, I’ve had people blame the roof for all sorts of noise issues, when half the time it’s gaps in the attic hatch or missing insulation around pipes. Sometimes it’s just the quirks of an older house.
I’m curious if anyone’s tried those sound-dampening attic blankets? I’ve only seen them in catalogs, but if they actually work, they might be worth a shot in some of these drafty old places.