A Roof’s Lifecycle Starts With Roofing Underlayment
You may have heard of the story of two builders. One built his house on the sand; another built his house on the rocks. As the story goes, when the wet weather came along (as it so often does in South Florida!), the house built on the sand was washed away. The house on the rock stood firm to live another day. The moral of the story is that a strong foundation will ensure your house stands up to the elements. You may not have considered your roof when hearing that story, but the same principle applies. The better the roofing underlayment is the greater your roof’s longevity.
Roofing Underlayment: The Weather Barrier
A roof’s surface consists of three parts, namely decking, underlayment, and covering.
Decking is usually made from a wooden board that covers the roof area and sits on the trusses. The roof covering refers to what is seen when you look at the house. These can be tiles, shingles, or metal sheets.
The layer that ties everything together is the underlayment. It protects your home from wet weather and wind. Roofing underlayment ensures your roof is watertight. Underlayment approved by the Florida Building Code is also protected against the building inspector and insurers.
The Importance of Keeping the Decking Dry
While decking provides some protection against the weather, it is full of gaps. Adjacent boards have air gaps. Wood swells when it becomes saturated with water. Capillary action is what happens when the water finds its way into tiny cracks and crevices. As it becomes sodden, the decking deteriorates and disintegrates. This won’t happen when your decking is covered with Tag & Stick’s two-ply, self-adhering system. The watertight barrier created by the continuous roll of underlayment eliminates air gaps. That means no leaks. Another area where the decking is susceptible to leaks is on the edges and apex. If these areas are not covered adequately, water seeps in there too.
Multiple Barriers of Protection
A great product like Tag & Stick’s underlayment means that your roof is covered by two separate layers. The first layer is secured mechanically to the decking. The second layer self-adheres to the first. This multi-layered approach acts as a double protection against the wind and rain. If there happens to be any damage to the roof tiles or covering, then the underlayment will protect the decking beneath. If roofers are replacing the coverings your roof will still be weather-proof should the repair work suffer any delays.
Protecting Your Roof from The Inside Out
As well as keeping the water from the outside out, underlayment helps water vapor from the inside out. This is because of a property called permeance. This is the ability to allow water vapor to permeate out through the membrane but resist liquid water from coming in. The permeability means that condensation will not form between your roof deck and the underlayment.
How Long Should My Roof Last?
Proper roof maintenance can go a long way towards keeping your roof in good condition. An inspection every 3 to 5 years is a good idea to stay on top of potential issues. If the contractors have done their job well and used the best materials, you can expect a solid 25 to 30 years from your roofing underlayment. Remember that the underlayment is protecting the vulnerable parts of your roof, so the longer it lasts the longer your roof lasts.
Tag & Stick’s Two-Ply Self Adhering System
If you only want the best materials for your home’s roof, then you’re only left with one choice. Tag & Stick solves both short and long-term problems with roof underlayment in one easy solution. If you need more information or just want to get your hands on the best product out there, give our Customer Services a call on (954) 255-3107. We’ll answer any questions you have. With Tag & Stick, you’ll be confident that you made the right decision.