I’ve seen the same thing—synthetic underlayment just shrugs off years of abuse, even when the shingles are trashed. Felt’s basically paper mache after a few wet seasons, especially if there’s been any leaks or ice damming. The landfill issue bugs me too, though. Around here, nobody’s recycling synthetic yet... it all goes straight to the dump. Not ideal, but I’d rather deal with that than a rotten deck from failed felt.
That lines up with what I’ve seen on a few properties—synthetic just doesn’t break down the way felt does, even after years of rough weather. The landfill thing is a headache, though. I keep hoping someone will figure out a recycling option for synthetics soon... but yeah, replacing rotten decking is a much bigger hassle and cost.
Yeah, the landfill issue with synthetics bugs me too. I get why folks like them—they really do hold up better in nasty weather, and I’ve seen felt just turn to mush after a few years of heavy rain. But then you’re stuck with all that plastic that’s not going anywhere for decades. It’s a trade-off, I guess. I’d rather not be tearing up rotten decking every ten years, but I also hate the idea of piling up more stuff that won’t break down.
I keep hearing rumors about recycling programs in the works, but nothing concrete yet. Until then, it’s just picking the lesser evil. At least with synthetics, you’re not dealing with leaks as often, which is a relief. Still, I wish there was a truly green option that didn’t cost an arm and a leg or fall apart after one bad storm. Maybe someday...
I keep wondering if anyone’s actually seen a synthetic underlayment get reused or recycled, or is it just all talk right now? I’ve only ever seen it go straight to the dump after a tear-off. Maybe there’s something happening in bigger cities, but around here, it’s just landfill.
I’ve only ever seen it go straight to the dump after a tear-off.
Same here—after my recent roof project, the crew just bundled up the old synthetic stuff and tossed it. I asked if it could be recycled, and got a look like I’d suggested composting asphalt. Maybe there’s some cutting-edge recycling in the big cities, but in my small town, it’s definitely landfill-bound. On the bright side, at least the synthetic underlayment held up better than the felt did on my neighbor’s place... his was basically mulch by year ten.
