I hear you on the cost thing. I went with asphalt shingles myself a few years back, mostly because the price difference between that and metal was just too much for my budget at the time. I did look into metal, but the quotes were almost double, and I just couldn’t swing it. Still, every time we get those dry, windy days in late summer, I start second-guessing that decision. I’ve seen a couple houses in my neighborhood lose patches of shingles after a bad windstorm, and it’s always the same story—insurance covers some of it, but there’s always out-of-pocket stuff.
That said, I do think regular maintenance helps more than people realize. I’m out there every fall clearing gutters and trimming back branches, and so far (knock on wood) I haven’t had any major issues. But yeah, if a fire ever got close, I’m not sure how much good that would do. The embers can get under there so fast. My neighbor actually had to replace part of his roof last year after a small grass fire sent embers up—he said the shingles curled up at the edges and let the heat right in.
I guess it’s one of those things where you do what you can with what you’ve got. Not everyone can afford to go all-in on fireproof materials, but keeping up with the basics at least gives you a fighting chance. And who knows—maybe prices will come down on metal or tile someday. Until then, just gotta stay on top of the upkeep and hope for the best.
