I've gotta say, comfort was a big plus for us too. We switched from felt to synthetic underlayment about three years ago, and the temp difference upstairs was noticeable almost immediately—no more chilly corners or weird drafts. Can't really speak to huge savings on energy bills (maybe a little?), but honestly, just having a more consistent indoor temp made it worth it. Plus, after seeing how quickly felt deteriorated during our last roof replacement... synthetic feels like a no-brainer now.
Totally agree on synthetic feeling like the smarter choice, especially durability-wise. Felt breaking down in just a few years always seemed wasteful to me. Wonder though, anyone looked into how eco-friendly synthetic underlayments are compared to traditional felt? Curious about long-term sustainability...
"Wonder though, anyone looked into how eco-friendly synthetic underlayments are compared to traditional felt?"
Good point about sustainability. I switched to synthetic underlayment on a property about five years ago after dealing with felt deteriorating way too quickly. So far, it's held up great—no leaks or tears yet. But honestly, I haven't found much clear info on the environmental impact either. Durability-wise, synthetic feels like a win, but it'd be nice to know more about the long-term eco side of things...
"Durability-wise, synthetic feels like a win, but it'd be nice to know more about the long-term eco side of things..."
Yeah, durability is definitely a plus with synthetic. I've worked on roofs with both felt and synthetic underlayments, and from a practical standpoint, synthetic seems to hold up better in harsh weather. But I do wonder about the manufacturing process—like, how much energy does it take to produce compared to felt? And what about disposal or recycling down the road? Felt deteriorates quicker, sure, but it's basically organic material, right? Synthetic seems like it'd stick around forever in a landfill. Has anyone come across info on recycling options or maybe biodegradable synthetics? Would be interesting to know if there's any progress being made on that front...
I put synthetic underlayment on our shed roof about five years ago, and honestly, it's still going strong—no leaks, no tears, nothing. But yeah, every time I toss out plastic packaging or something similar, I can't help but wonder if I'm just adding more immortal junk to the landfill. If they could figure out a synthetic that's tough but breaks down eventually, I'd be all over that. Until then, guess I'll just cross my fingers and hope the roof outlives me...
