How Important Is Roofing Felt

Felt paper also referred to as tar paper was the standard underlayment material in roofing for decades.

How important is roofing felt.

You can expect felt underlayment to generally last anywhere from 12 to 20 years. Felt paper and synthetic. Is felt really that important and what is roofing felt anyway. In our industry there are two main varieties of underlayment.

The reason why drip edge should be installed below the underlayment along the eaves of the roof is so that water does not get under the drip edge. This method has been used for over one hundred years. There is also another form of underlayment on the market that is particularly important in the toronto region where ice snow and severe rainstorms are common. When installing anything on a roof you need to follow the water rule the water rule means you consider where water will run when it s on the roof.

It was easy to use durable and even had alignment lines to help with the shingle installation. Roofing experts have discovered that adding a layer of protection between your structural roof decking the layer of wood that covers your rafters and your roof shingles helps create a better looking and longer lasting roof. A roof is more prone to leaks once its protective underlayment starts to break down. When homeowners would remove the shingles off their roof on a weekend the roofing felt would serve as a waterproof cover.

This makes picking the underlayment with the greatest longevity important in order to minimize future maintenance and maximize the lifespan of your roof. These synthetic membranes can have a much higher performance than the felt variety in severe weather conditions or can be matched to work better with specific roofing materials. Why use roofing felt paper. Well the original purpose for using roofing felt was to be a temporary waterproof roof whilst homeowners would have to build their own roofs.

In fact there are a number of important ways roofing felt not only protects your roof but also your residence.