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.

This method has been used for over one hundred years. In fact there are a number of important ways roofing felt not only protects your roof but also your residence. Is felt really that important and what is roofing felt anyway. Why use roofing felt paper.

In our industry there are two main varieties of underlayment. Well the original purpose for using roofing felt was to be a temporary waterproof roof whilst homeowners would have to build their own roofs. 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 homeowners would remove the shingles off their roof on a weekend the roofing felt would serve as a waterproof cover.

Roofing felt is necessary to protect against any water that can get past the shingles without felt you risk water damage to the wood decking which will decrease the lifespan of the roof. Additionally most manufacturers will void any warranties to a roof that hasn t been properly installed with felt. You can expect felt underlayment to generally last anywhere from 12 to 20 years. Roofing felt is a layer of tar paper installed beneath the shingles to provide a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.

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. 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. A roof is more prone to leaks once its protective underlayment starts to break down. It was easy to use durable and even had alignment lines to help with the shingle installation.

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.