I’ve seen crews swear by synthetic, but I’m still not convinced it’s the holy grail. We had a section on a low-slope roof where water pooled after a storm, and even the “tough” stuff started to bubble up. Anyone else notice that, or is it just our weird drainage?
Eight years is honestly impressive—most folks I see are lucky to get half that before moisture or compression issues start showing up. Curious which brand you landed on, too. For what it’s worth, I’ve seen Grace Ice & Water Shield hold up really well in wet climates, but it’s not always the most budget-friendly. Sometimes the install makes just as much difference as the product, though... seen great underlayment fail just from shortcuts. Either way, sounds like you found a solid combo.
Eight years is way better than what I’ve seen on most of my properties—usually the felt starts to bubble or tear up after five or six, especially with the humidity we get. Curious if you went with a synthetic or stuck with traditional felt? I’ve had mixed results with synthetics—some brands seem to handle foot traffic better, but others just don’t lay flat. Did you do anything different with ventilation or flashing that you think helped? Sometimes it’s those little install details that make all the difference.
Curious if you went with a synthetic or stuck with traditional felt? I’ve had mixed results with synthetics—some brands seem to handle foot traffic better, but others just don’t lay flat.
I’m right there with you on synthetics being hit or miss. I tried a budget-friendly synthetic last time, thinking it’d be a step up from felt, but it wrinkled like crazy once the sun hit it. Ended up with some weird ridges under the shingles. I did beef up attic ventilation and swapped to metal drip edge, which might’ve helped a bit with moisture. Did you notice any difference in heat buildup under the roof after switching underlayments? That’s been my biggest headache—especially in our muggy summers.
Did you notice any difference in heat buildup under the roof after switching underlayments? That’s been my biggest headache—especially in our muggy summers.
Honestly, I’ve seen more heat trapped with some synthetics, especially the cheaper ones. They just don’t breathe like felt. Even with good ventilation, attic temps shot up a few degrees for me. Not a dealbreaker, but definitely noticeable during those humid stretches. I’m still not convinced synthetics are always better—depends a lot on the brand and install.
