every time it’s the flashing and those tricky valleys that give folks grief—not the underlayment brand.
Couldn’t agree more—seen too many people obsess over shingle type, then ignore a half-baked valley detail. I’ll take a basic 3-tab with tight flashing over “lifetime” shingles slapped on by someone in a hurry any day. Ventilation’s a puzzle, too... sometimes you just gotta work with what you’ve got, even if it’s not textbook perfect.
Title: Need Advice On Replacing An Old Leaky Roof
I get where you’re coming from about the valleys and flashing—those spots are notorious for trouble. But I’ve seen a few jobs where folks did everything “by the book” on the details, yet still ended up with issues because they cheaped out on underlayment. Maybe it’s just my luck, but one client had a gorgeous roof, all the right flashing, but used bargain felt underneath. Fast forward two years and there were stains creeping down their living room wall... not pretty.
I’m not saying underlayment is the only thing that matters, but I wouldn’t write it off either. Sometimes it’s the stuff you can’t see that comes back to bite you. And yeah, ventilation’s a headache—especially in these old houses where nothing lines up like it should. You do what you can, but I’d rather overthink than underthink when water’s involved.
I’ve seen that too—people get all focused on the visible stuff and forget what’s underneath is just as important. I mean, you can have the prettiest shingles in the world, but if the underlayment’s junk, water’s gonna find its way in eventually. I actually had a client who spent a fortune on high-end tile, but the roofer skimped on the waterproofing layer. Ended up with a mess in their master bedroom, and you can imagine how thrilled they were.
Curious if anyone here has tried those synthetic underlayments? I keep hearing they’re a game-changer compared to the old felt, but I haven’t seen them in action on any of my projects yet. Also, how are you all handling attic ventilation in these older houses? Every time I think I’ve got it figured out, there’s some weird framing or a blocked soffit that throws a wrench in the works...
Need Advice On Replacing An Old Leaky Roof
That’s such a good point about the underlayment—people really do get caught up in the aesthetics and forget about what’s actually protecting their investment. I’ve seen synthetic underlayments used on a couple of recent projects, and they seem to hold up better over time, especially in humid climates. They’re lighter and easier to install, too, from what contractors have told me. But I’m still a bit skeptical about how they perform long-term compared to traditional felt.
Attic ventilation is always tricky in older homes. I’ve run into blocked soffits more times than I can count, and sometimes the only option is to get creative with vent placement or even add mechanical ventilation. Has anyone tried those low-profile ridge vents? I’m curious if they actually make a noticeable difference or if it’s just marketing hype...
NEED ADVICE ON REPLACING AN OLD LEAKY ROOF
I’ve actually had synthetic underlayment on my place for about eight years now—no issues so far, but I’m still not convinced it’ll outlast the old felt on my neighbor’s roof. Time will tell, I guess. As for those low-profile ridge vents, I tried them during a remodel last year. They look clean and didn’t mess with the roofline, but honestly, I didn’t notice a huge difference in attic temps compared to the older box vents. Maybe it depends on the house layout or how blocked up the soffits are...
