finally found an underlayment that lasts - what's your experience?

Yeah, I get the appeal of not stressing every time it rains. I’m still a bit skeptical about how long the synthetic stuff will actually last, but so far it’s holding up better than the old felt ever did. My main gripe was the price too, but honestly, dealing with leaks is way more expensive (and stressful). I kept all my paperwork just in case - heard too many stories about insurance nitpicking over “improper install” or whatever. Still crossing my fingers it holds up through a few more winters...

I hear you on the price - synthetic underlayment isn’t cheap, but man, I’ve seen way too many folks try to save a buck with felt and end up with water stains or worse after a big storm. Had a neighbor who thought he’d outsmart the system… two years later, he’s got buckets in the living room and a fight with his insurance company. Paperwork is gold, honestly. As for longevity, I’ve ripped up some synthetic after 8-10 years and it still looked decent. Not perfect, but definitely better than felt ever did in our climate. Crossing my fingers for both of us this winter...

As for longevity, I’ve ripped up some synthetic after 8-10 years and it still looked decent. Not perfect, but definitely better than felt ever did in our climate.

That’s good to hear. I’m in the same boat - paid more for synthetic last year and kinda held my breath about whether it was worth it. Our winters are brutal and I’ve seen felt just disintegrate after a couple seasons. Curious if anyone’s had issues with synthetic getting slippery during install? My roofer mentioned it was a pain on steeper pitches. Wondering if that’s just him or a common thing.

I had the same concern about the slipperiness, actually. When we did our roof last fall, the crew used synthetic underlayment (I think it was GAF Deck-Armor or something similar) and the foreman mentioned it was a bit like walking on a plastic tarp, especially early in the morning with dew. Our house has a pretty steep pitch - nothing crazy, but enough that I wouldn’t want to be up there myself. They ended up wearing those spiked shoe covers for grip, which looked kind of ridiculous but seemed to help.

One thing I noticed: after a couple days in the sun, the synthetic seemed to “settle” and wasn’t as slick. But during install, especially if it was damp or frosty, it was definitely more treacherous than felt. The guys said they preferred felt for traction but liked synthetic for everything else - weight, durability, and how it didn’t tear if you looked at it funny.

I’ll say, after seeing how the old felt just crumbled in my hands when we tore off the old shingles (it was only 7 years old), I’m glad we went with synthetic. Our winters are rough too - lots of freeze/thaw and wind. The peace of mind is worth a little extra hassle during install, at least from my perspective as someone who’s not actually up there doing the work.

Funny enough, I had a neighbor who tried to DIY his shed roof with synthetic and nearly slid off. He ended up putting down some old towels just to get enough grip to finish nailing it down. Not exactly OSHA-approved, but it worked for him.

Long story short, I think your roofer’s not alone in finding it slippery, but most seem to agree it’s a tradeoff worth making for longevity. Just glad I’m not the one balancing up there...

I’ll say, after seeing how the old felt just crumbled in my hands when we tore off the old shingles (it was only 7 years old), I’m glad we went with synthetic. Our winters are rough too - lots ...

That’s wild about the towels - definitely not OSHA-approved but hey, whatever works in a pinch, right? I’ve had a couple crews complain about synthetic being slick, especially in the mornings. Makes me wonder, is there a brand out there that’s actually less slippery or is it just the nature of the beast? Also, curious if anyone’s seen issues with synthetic in super hot climates - does it ever get too brittle or shrink? I’ve only dealt with it in the Midwest, so not sure how it holds up in, say, Arizona.