You nailed it with the “superior traction” claims—marketing always oversells that part. I’ve had crews complain about both, honestly. Felt is more forgiving when you’re walking on it, but those wrinkles after a storm are a pain to fix, and if you leave them, they telegraph through the shingles. Synthetics are definitely tougher in wet weather, but yeah, pollen or even sawdust turns them into a skating rink. I guess it’s just picking your battles. I’ve started warning folks not to trust any underlayment too much when it’s damp or dirty... nothing replaces being careful up there.
I’ve started warning folks not to trust any underlayment too much when it’s damp or dirty... nothing replaces being careful up there.
That’s honestly the best advice. I used to think synthetic would be a game-changer, but after seeing my neighbor’s crew nearly wipe out on a pollen-covered roof, I get it now. Felt seemed “old school” to me, but those wrinkles you mentioned are real—my inspector pointed them out after a storm last spring. It’s wild how much the marketing glosses over the actual day-to-day headaches. You’re right, there’s no magic fix, just gotta stay cautious and pick what works for your situation.
It’s wild how much the marketing glosses over the actual day-to-day headaches.
I hear you, but I’d push back a bit on the “no magic fix” idea. Synthetic’s not perfect, but in my experience after a couple hurricanes, it held up way better than felt—especially when the shingles got peeled off. Felt just turned to mush. That said, synthetic gets slick as ice with any dust or pollen, like you mentioned. For me, it’s about weighing which headache you want: felt wrinkles and tears, or synthetic slipperiness and cost. Neither is flawless, but I’d still lean synthetic for storm zones.
I’ve seen a lot of roofs where the synthetic looked almost untouched after a few years, but I’ve also come across some that were curling at the edges—maybe installer error? Anyone else notice synthetic sometimes traps moisture if there’s a leak above? Just curious if that’s a common thing or just bad luck on my end.
Anyone else notice synthetic sometimes traps moisture if there’s a leak above?
Yeah, I’ve seen that too. Synthetic’s great for durability, but if water gets underneath, it doesn’t always dry out like felt does. Curling at the edges usually screams install issue—seen it when guys over-nail or don’t lap it right. Honestly, I trust synthetic more in the long run, but only if it’s put down right. Otherwise, you’re just asking for weird problems down the road...