"Learned this the hard way myself—had to redo insulation after a leak repair...not fun."
Yeah, been there myself. Had a client once who insisted on insulating first because winter was coming and they were worried about heating bills. Well, guess what happened? First big storm rolled in, and we ended up tearing out half the insulation to fix leaks we missed earlier. Lesson learned: always get the roof solid first. Good call bringing that up—could save someone else a headache down the road.
"Lesson learned: always get the roof solid first."
Couldn't agree more with this. I remember helping a buddy replace his roof—we thought we'd patched everything perfectly, but sure enough, missed one sneaky leak. Nothing worse than watching brand-new insulation turn soggy after all that work. Now I always double-check every seam and flashing before even thinking about insulation...better safe than sorry, right?
Yeah, double-checking is good advice, but even then, do you ever really trust a roof until it's had a good heavy rain or two? I've seen roofs pass every inspection and still find a way to drip somewhere unexpected. Sometimes I wonder if leaks just wait till you're done patting yourself on the back to pop up. Did you guys use any special underlayment or waterproofing membrane underneath, or just standard felt? Curious if that would've made a difference...
Honestly, I get your point about membranes and underlayments, but from my experience, even the fancy waterproofing stuff isn't a guarantee. I went with the pricier synthetic underlayment last year—supposedly superior—and still ended up chasing a sneaky leak near the chimney after the first big storm. Sometimes it's less about materials and more about workmanship or just plain luck. Spending extra doesn't always mean you're leak-free...just my two cents.
You're spot on about workmanship playing a huge role, but I'd push back a bit on the idea that higher-quality materials aren't worth it. In my experience, premium waterproofing membranes and synthetic underlayments do perform noticeably better overall—especially in extreme weather conditions. That said, they're not magic; installation details matter immensely. I've seen roofs with top-of-the-line materials leak because the flashing around chimneys or vents wasn't properly done. Conversely, I've had budget-friendly roofs stay bone-dry for years because the crew paid meticulous attention to detail.
It's definitely a balance between material quality and workmanship, but I'd still lean toward investing in better products if the budget allows. They won't guarantee zero issues, but they do reduce your odds of headaches down the road. Just make sure whoever installs them knows what they're doing...
