Weatherproof Your Home With The Best Roof Underlayment
- Exploring Your Options To Find The Best Roof Underlayment For You
- Should You Use Asphalt-Saturated Felt Roof Underlayment
- The Pros And Cons of Synthetic Underlayment
- Rubberized Asphalt Underlayment: How It Works
- Why Inorganic Modified Underlayment Could Be The Best Roof Underlayment For You
- How To Choose The Best Roof Underlayment For You
With the unpredictable weather in South Florida, hurricane-proofing your home is crucial. When protecting your home from the weather, one of the most important elements is your roof, the largest and strongest defense against wind and rain. To get the best out of your roof, you must choose the best products and roofing company to install and inspect it. One important step is using a material called underlayment which provides a protective layer from wind, rain, and moisture.
In this article, we’ve compiled options to help you choose the best roof underlayment for your needs, considering the level of protection you need, and your budget among other factors. Read on to learn about the different types of underlayment in residential roofing.
Exploring Your Options To Find The Best Roof Underlayment For You
Roof underlayment is a layer of roofing placed on your roof deck before placing down the top layer of your roof, whether shingles, tiles, metal, or slate. Roof underlayment prevents moisture buildup between your roof and your roof deck. It also protects your roof against high winds providing an extra layer of protection to buffer your home against the elements. As the underlayment creates a moisture barrier it also helps protect your home from mold and leaks. Underlayment can also help improve the fire safety of your home as well as improve its insulation. There are four main types of under-roof protection, namely:
- Asphalt-saturated felt
- Synthetic underlayment
- Rubberized asphalt underlayment
- Inorganic modified underlayment
Each has different benefits, price points, and methods of installment.
Should You Use Asphalt-Saturated Felt Roof Underlayment
As mentioned previously there are four main types of roof underlayment. When choosing the best roof underlayment for your needs, one thing to consider is your budget. Asphalt-saturated felt is one of the cheapest forms of roof underlayment you can get. It is one of the earliest versions of underlayment and was the most popular method of underlayment during the 20th century. Asphalt-saturated felt is also quite a versatile form of roof underlayment as you can increase your level of protection by adding more weight.
There are some downsides to using this form of underlayment, namely that because it’s so an older and more dangerous system most contractors are shying away from it going to newer methods. Another issue is weight, because it requires placing felt and using a tar adhesive, the asphalt-saturated felt underlayment is quite heavy.
Asphalt-saturated felt can be less effective in hot weather as the heat from the sun can cause the materials to weaken over time.
Finally, if you need to make repairs to your roof and need to remove the underlayment because of how it adheres it can cause damage to your roof’s sheating in the removal process, which may mean replacing the sheathing entirely.
The Pros And Cons of Synthetic Underlayment
Synthetic underlayment is the most common form of underlayment currently because it is tear-resistant and stable. It can endure the elements for about six months well before the final layer of the roof is installed giving you more leeway during the process. It is lighter than other forms of underlayment and is also non-skid making them safer to install. However, there are some drawbacks to using synthetic underlayment that must be considered if you are looking for the best roof underlayment.
One of the larger concerns is that there are no specific standards in their creation which means you could buy a low-quality version that does not protect your home to a high standard. It is important to communicate with your roofer to ensure that they procure the highest standard possible for keeping your home dry.
It is also more expensive than asphalt-saturated felt, so you do have to be mindful of your budget when deciding what underlayment to use. You also need to consider the fact that if you need to make repairs to your roof, the way synthetic underlayment adheres can cause some damage to the sheathing if it needs to be removed, which may mean replacing the sheathing entirely.
Rubberized Asphalt Underlayment: How It Works
Rubberized asphalt underlayment is made with asphalt, rubber, and other polymers, it generally comes with a protective layer and a sticky back which helps create a water-tight seal when installed correctly. Asphalt-saturated felt and synthetic underlayment only provide a water-resistant seal when installed, which is good for most scenarios but it may be worth considering using rubberized asphalt underlayment if you live in extreme weather conditions, or conditions that fluctuate in temperature considerably. You may also want to use it to shore up areas that pool water or could potentially be a weak point in your roof.
One issue regarding rubberized asphalt underlayment is the cost of the material itself, it is a bit more expensive than the other versions, but it is less labor-intensive. It also is thicker than other underlayments so you get less coverage per roll but you will save it in labor. Rubberized asphalt also adheres similarly to asphalt-saturated felt and synthetic underlayment in the sense that if it is removed it can damage the sheathing of your roof to the extent that the entire sheathing may need to be replaced.
Why Inorganic Modified Underlayment Could Be The Best Roof Underlayment For You
Inorganic modified underlayment is Tag & Stick’s proprietary underlayment method for protecting your home from the elements. Unlike other underlayment methods, it uses a mechanical element to help secure it to your roof deck, making removing it easier with no damage to your sheathe.
It also provides greater protection than single-ply underlayments and can be used with any steep slope roofing product like tile, shingles, metal, shakes, slate, or any other sloped roofing product. It can also be used as a temporary roof for 6 months due to its UV protection properties. I
t is designed to be fast and easy to install, with an easily accessible installation instructions available on the our website. It also does not need hot tar or torches to install, making it safer for your home and roofers. Our proprietary underlayment is also certified for hurricane zones.
How To Choose The Best Roof Underlayment For You
When choosing your underlayment you must communicate with your contracted roofing company, since it requires a professional to install it. Based on their feedback you should also consider your options like budget, and the level of protection you need depending on your location and whether you experience extreme weather conditions.
If you would like more information on our two-ply water barrier underlayment system give us a call at 954-255-3107 or contact us online.