Had a similar experience after a hailstorm last spring—felt underlayment just tore up like tissue paper. Switched to a synthetic (I think it was GAF Tiger Paw?) and it held up way better, especially with our wild temperature swings here in the Midwest. I do agree, some of those “lifetime” synthetics are a bit of a gamble... one batch I got started wrinkling before the shingles even went on. Still, I’d take that over the old tar paper any day. My knees are too old for that kind of slip-n-slide.
I hear you on the knees—felt like I was ice skating the last time I had to deal with old-school felt after a rain. I’ve used Tiger Paw too, and it’s definitely less of a circus act, but I’ve had a couple rolls that bubbled up weirdly when the sun hit ’em. Still, I’ll take a few wrinkles over soggy, torn felt any day. Midwest weather just chews up the cheap stuff. At this point, I’m just happy if I don’t have to chase underlayment down the street after a storm...
You nailed it—Midwest weather just destroys the cheap stuff. I’ve seen felt literally disintegrate after one bad storm, and chasing it down the block is no joke. Tiger Paw’s not perfect, but at least it doesn’t turn into mush. The bubbling drives me nuts too, but I’d rather deal with that than a soaked attic. At this point, I’ll take “mostly stays put” as a win...
I’ve seen felt literally disintegrate after one bad storm, and chasing it down the block is no joke.
Been there—had a whole roll of 15# felt peel off during a thunderstorm last spring. Watched it wrap around a neighbor’s tree like a streamer. Switched to synthetic after that mess. It’s not perfect, but at least I’m not picking up soggy scraps off the lawn anymore. The bubbling’s annoying, yeah, but I’ll take that over water stains on the ceiling any day.
I get why folks are moving to synthetic, but honestly, I’m still on the fence. I used a high-quality felt last fall—double layered, lots of fasteners—and it held up through two nasty windstorms. Maybe it’s just luck or the pitch of my roof, but I haven’t had the same issues with tearing or leaks. The bubbling with synthetic drives me nuts, and I’ve heard it can get slick if you’re up there working. Not saying felt’s perfect, but for my place, it’s been less hassle so far.
