I’ve wondered the same thing about the “grippy” synthetics. Last fall I helped my brother redo his roof—steep pitch, old farmhouse style—and he insisted on using one of those newer synthetic underlayments with the textured surface. I was skeptical, honestly. I’ve always used felt too, just because it’s cheap and familiar.
But I’ll say this: we had a couple of misty mornings where the roof was damp, and it really did feel a lot less slippery than felt. Not like walking on sandpaper or anything, but noticeably better grip underfoot. Still, when it started raining for real, we got down fast—didn’t trust anything at that point.
Only downside I noticed is that some of those synthetics can be a pain to cut straight, especially if there’s wind. But for working on a steep roof, I’d pick the grippy stuff over regular felt now. Maybe not a miracle, but definitely not just marketing hype in my experience.
- Noticed the same thing with synthetics on inspections lately—grip is a big plus, especially on anything steeper than 6/12.
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That lines up with what I’ve seen. Felt turns into a slip-n-slide even with a little dew.“we had a couple of misty mornings where the roof was damp, and it really did feel a lot less slippery than felt.”
- Durability-wise, synthetics hold up better if the shingles aren’t going on right away. I’ve seen felt wrinkle and tear after a week of sun or a windy day—synthetic usually stays put.
- Agree about cutting issues. Wind can make it a mess, and some brands curl up at the edges if you don’t tack them down fast.
- Only real downside I’ve run into: a few older houses with rough decking (splinters, nail heads sticking up) can snag or puncture the synthetic, especially the thinner rolls. Worth checking the deck before rolling it out.
- For longevity, synthetics are winning out in my area (Midwest, lots of freeze/thaw). Haven’t seen one fail early yet, while old felt sometimes starts to break down under leaks.
- Still, nothing’s totally slip-proof in the rain—good call getting off the roof when it started coming down. Safety first.
- Seen the same with synthetics—way better grip, especially on those steeper pitches where you really don’t want to be skating around.
- Biggest headache for me is when the wind picks up mid-roll... had a whole sheet take off like a kite once.
- I still keep some felt on hand for patch jobs or weird spots, but for anything big, synthetics just last longer and don’t wrinkle up like wet newspaper.
- Agree on the rough decking—just had a job where old nail heads poked right through the underlayment. Had to go back and fix it before shingles went on.
- Midwest winters here too, and so far no early fails with synthetic. Just wish they’d figure out how to make it lay flat every time—some days it feels like wrestling an octopus.
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Just wish they’d figure out how to make it lay flat every time—some days it feels like wrestling an octopus.
Yep, totally get this. My first time watching the crew put down synthetic, I thought it was supposed to just roll out smooth... not curl up like a party streamer.
- Midwest here too—our wind is no joke. Saw a neighbor’s underlayment halfway across the yard last fall.
- Still confused if I should bother with felt for the little spots, or just stick with synthetic everywhere?
- Not loving how slippery it gets with frost in the mornings, but at least it doesn’t soak up water like felt.
- Anyone else notice static shocks when handling synthetic, or is that just me being unlucky?
Static shocks—yeah, that’s not just you. Happened to me a bunch last fall, especially when it was dry out. I’ve only used synthetic for the last two roofs and honestly, I wouldn’t go back to felt except maybe for tiny patches or weird corners. The wind here (central Illinois) is brutal too. Had to chase a roll down the street once... not fun. Slippery mornings are rough, but at least it dries quick after rain.
