Had a similar situation last fall—old felt underlayment on my garage roof didn’t stand a chance when we got a surprise downpour. Ended up with water stains on the ceiling and a lot of regret. Switched to synthetic for the main house and, while it took a bit more time to fasten properly, it held up way better during the next storm. I get why people still use felt for budget jobs, but after seeing how quickly it can fail, I’m not going back unless I absolutely have to.
I totally get where you’re coming from. We had felt on our shed and after one nasty rain, it basically turned into tissue paper. When we did the main roof, I went with synthetic too—took longer to install but honestly, no leaks since. I guess felt’s okay if you need something quick and cheap, but I’m not risking it again if I can help it.
I guess felt’s okay if you need something quick and cheap, but I’m not risking it again if I can help it.
Yeah, same here. We had felt on our old garage roof and after one winter, it was a soggy mess—ended up with water stains inside. When we redid the house roof last year, the contractor pushed for synthetic. Cost a bit more and took longer, but honestly, I sleep better when it pours now. Maybe felt still makes sense for sheds or something temporary, but for the main roof? Not worth the stress.
- Had the same debate last year.
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“Maybe felt still makes sense for sheds or something temporary, but for the main roof? Not worth the stress.”
- Used felt on a shed—fine for a couple years, but wouldn’t trust it on the house again.
- Synthetic cost me about 20% more, but no leaks since (Midwest winters here).
- If you’re pinching pennies, felt’s okay short-term... just be ready to replace sooner.
- For anything you want to last, synthetic wins by a mile.
Felt on a house roof is kinda like wearing flip-flops in a snowstorm—sure, it covers your feet, but you’re gonna regret it sooner or later. I’ve seen felt hold up okay for a few years, but synthetic just outlasts it, especially when you’re dealing with Midwest freeze-thaw cycles. Only exception I’ve noticed: if you’re doing a quick patch or a backyard shed, felt’s fine. But for anything you want to set and forget? Synthetic’s worth the extra bucks. Never had a callback for leaks since I made the switch.
