That’s been my experience too—synthetics can look great on paper, but in practice, weather really tests them. I’ve flagged a few jobs for the same bubbling and seam issues, especially if there’s a delay between underlayment and shingles. Do you think some of it comes down to the brand, or is it more about how careful the crew is? I’m always curious if anyone’s found a synthetic that actually holds up in humid or windy stretches, or if it’s just the nature of the beast right now.
I’ve wondered the same thing about brands vs. install quality. From what I’ve seen, even the “premium” synthetics can bubble or wrinkle if the crew isn’t careful, especially if they’re walking on it a lot or if there’s a rain delay before shingles go on. But I do think some brands handle moisture and wind better than others—like, I had a job last summer with GAF Deck-Armor and it held up way better in a week of humid storms than the generic stuff we used on another house down the street. Still, nothing’s perfect.
Humidity seems to be the real test. I’ve noticed that if the underlayment sits exposed for more than a few days, even the good ones can start to curl at the seams. Maybe it’s just the nature of synthetics right now, but I’d love to hear if anyone’s found one that really doesn’t care about weather delays. For now, I’m just making sure the crew gets shingles on ASAP and double-checks the overlaps. Not a perfect system, but it’s helped.
I hear you on install quality making a huge difference, but I’m not totally sold on the pricier synthetics being worth it for everyone.
Maybe I’ve just had bad luck, but I tried GAF Tiger Paw last year (midwest, lots of humidity) and still got some curling where it overlapped—wasn’t much better than the budget roll I used before. Honestly, old-school 30# felt held up longer than I expected when we had a rain delay. Not perfect, but for the money, sometimes basic is fine if you’re quick with shingles.“I had a job last summer with GAF Deck-Armor and it held up way better in a week of humid storms than the generic stuff we used on another house down the street.”
Honestly, old-school 30# felt held up longer than I expected when we had a rain delay.
Funny you mention that—I've seen the same thing. Sometimes the old stuff just refuses to quit. I’ve had Tiger Paw wrinkle up on me too, especially when it’s muggy out. Maybe it’s just how it gets tacked down, or maybe Midwest humidity is just brutal on everything. I still lean toward synthetics for longer delays, but if you’re shingling fast, felt’s hard to beat for the price.
- Same here, Midwest humidity is no joke.
- We had a patch of 30# felt last through two days of drizzle... meanwhile, synthetic on the garage got slick and weirdly noisy.
- Price-wise, felt’s hard to argue with, but I get nervous about longer delays.
- Anyone else notice Tiger Paw gets a funky smell when it’s wet? Maybe that’s just my luck.