Synthetic underlayment is definitely smoother to work with. Did you find it noisier during rain, though? I swear mine sounds louder now, or maybe I'm just noticing it more. Good point on the soffit vents—had a similar experience myself. Nothing like crawling around insulation to make you question your life choices... Did you add baffles afterward, or just clear the insulation away and call it good?
I noticed the same thing with synthetic underlayment—I swear the rain sounds sharper or something. Maybe it's just because it's thinner and harder, so the sound transfers differently. Either way, took me a few storms to get used to it.
As for the soffit vents... yeah, been there. When I redid mine, I initially thought clearing insulation would be enough, but after a year or so I ended up back in that attic putting in baffles anyway. Wish I'd done it from the start—would've saved me some itchy weekends and a lot of cursing. The baffles really helped keep airflow consistent without insulation creeping back into the vent spaces. Highly recommend biting the bullet and installing them early if you haven't already.
Glad someone else mentioned the noise thing, thought I was imagining it at first. Synthetic underlayment definitely has a sharper sound... maybe it's just me, but I kinda like it now. Feels like I'm more aware of what's happening up there.
About the soffit vents—do baffles really make that big of a difference? I've cleared insulation out twice already (itchy nightmare both times), but I'm still skeptical if it's worth another attic crawl. If it truly helps airflow that much though, might have to suck it up and just do it...
Yeah, you're definitely not imagining the noise thing—I noticed it too. Took me a bit to get used to, but now it's oddly comforting knowing exactly when it's raining or windy up there.
About the baffles, I was skeptical at first too, but after installing them, I did notice a difference in airflow and attic temps. It wasn't night-and-day dramatic, but enough to feel worth the itchy hassle (I feel your pain there...). Maybe consider it if you're already planning another attic crawl anyway?
I recently replaced my roof and had similar concerns about noise and airflow. Didn't go for the baffles initially—thought they were just extra hassle—but after a summer of attic heat, I reconsidered. Definitely noticed an improvement afterward, even if subtle. Worth the itchy afternoon, in my opinion.
