"Still beats chasing felt around the neighborhood though..."
Haha, true enough. Last time I did mine, I went synthetic too—mostly for durability. Ever had to wrestle felt sheets off your neighbor's fence in a storm? Not fun... Synthetic held up way better for me.
Synthetic's definitely the way to go, especially if storms are common in your area. Felt just doesn't hold up well under heavy wind or rain. Seen too many roofs damaged because felt tore off mid-job.
"Ever had to wrestle felt sheets off your neighbor's fence in a storm? Not fun..."
Yeah, been there—had to fish pieces out of bushes and gutters once. Synthetic underlayment saves headaches and money in the long run. Worth every penny.
Synthetic might be great, but honestly, felt isn't always that bad. My uncle helped me reroof last summer, and we used felt since it fit our budget better. Storm rolled through halfway in, and yeah, it got messy, but nothing catastrophic.
"Synthetic underlayment saves headaches and money in the long run."
Maybe true long-term, but for a quick DIY fix on a tight budget...felt worked fine for us.
Felt definitely has its place, especially if you're working on a tight budget or just doing a quick patch-up. But honestly, after seeing both in action, synthetic underlayment does have some clear advantages. I helped out on a project last fall where we switched from felt to synthetic halfway through (supplier ran out of felt, go figure...), and the difference was pretty noticeable. The synthetic stuff was lighter, easier to handle, and held up way better when we got hit by unexpected rain overnight.
That said, I get your point—felt isn't exactly terrible. It's been around forever for a reason. But if you're planning to keep the roof long-term, or if you're in an area with unpredictable weather, synthetic might save you from some headaches down the road. Felt can wrinkle and tear more easily, especially if it gets wet before shingles go on. So yeah, felt works fine for quick fixes or budget jobs, but if you can swing it, synthetic is probably worth the extra upfront cost.
Totally agree with your points on synthetic. I inspected a roof last summer that had been partially left exposed due to delays (contractor issues, you know how it goes...). The homeowner had synthetic underlayment installed, and even after almost two weeks of intermittent storms, the stuff held up impressively well. Barely any wrinkles or tears, and no leaks in the attic either—which honestly surprised me.
But I've also seen plenty of felt roofs that lasted decades without issues. Sure, synthetic is lighter and easier to handle, but felt can still do the job if it's properly installed and covered quickly. The real advantage I've noticed with synthetic is peace of mind when unexpected weather hits mid-project. If you're DIY-ing or there's any chance your roofing project might get stalled, the synthetic stuff might be worth the extra cost just for that extra bit of insurance. Just my two cents from crawling around way too many attics...
