I was a firm believer in yearly roof coatings until a roofer set me straight

I bought my house on 102nd Avenue NE about 5 years ago and every spring I would coat the roof with that rubberized sealant. I thought I was being proactive, keeping the shingles protected and preventing leaks. But last month a neighbor had his roof replaced and the crew foreman walked over to look at mine. He asked why I was basically sealing in all the heat and making my shingles brittle by trapping moisture underneath. He pointed to a spot where the coating had cracked and water was sitting under it all winter. I had to admit he was right. I spent around $300 a year on buckets of that stuff and probably did more harm than good. Has anyone else here been doing maintenance that actually costs them in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade76711d ago

Man I see this a lot more than I used to, people just overthinking basic maintenance and actually making things worse without realizing it. It's like we're all trying too hard to be handy and nobody wants to just leave stuff alone.

david_stone12d ago

Coating shingles is almost never a good idea. The foreman was right - those shingles need to breathe and let moisture out, or they'll rot from underneath. Next time just stay on top of flashing and vent boots, that's where 90% of leaks start.