I get where you’re coming from—synthetics have definitely saved my bacon a few times when jobs got delayed and the weather turned ugly. I remember one spring, we had a week of nonstop rain and the synthetic underlayment held up way better than felt ever did for me. That said, I do miss how easy felt is to work with, especially on steep pitches. Slippery synthetics make me nervous sometimes... but yeah, for storm-prone spots, I just can’t trust felt to last more than a couple days exposed. Still hoping someone cracks the code on an eco-friendly option that actually holds up.
- Definitely agree, synthetics have bailed us out when weather’s turned nasty.
- Felt is way easier to lay down, especially if you’re on a steep roof and trying not to slide off...
- One thing I’ve noticed—synthetic doesn’t tear as easy when you’re dragging bundles around, but yeah, it’s like ice sometimes if your boots are dusty.
- Around here (Midwest), felt just doesn’t survive more than a day or two in the rain.
- Still waiting for something eco-friendly that isn’t just marketing hype. Maybe one day...
I’ve put both on my own roof over the years—felt on a shed, synthetic on the house. The synthetic held up way better during a week of rain before shingles went on, but I’ll admit it was a pain to walk on, especially with any dust or pollen. Felt’s easier to handle and cut, but it just doesn’t last if you get delayed by weather. I do wish there was something more eco-friendly that actually worked... everything I’ve seen so far is either super expensive or just greenwashing.
I get where you’re coming from about synthetic being tough in the rain, but I’ve had a different experience with felt. On a couple of my rental properties, we had to leave felt exposed for a few days when storms rolled in unexpectedly. Even with the old-school 30 lb stuff, it started to wrinkle and tear up at the edges. Maybe it’s just our humid summers, but I’ve never trusted felt to hold up if there’s any delay.
“Felt’s easier to handle and cut, but it just doesn’t last if you get delayed by weather.”
That’s been my headache too. Synthetic is slippery, no doubt, but I’ll take that over having to redo underlayment because it turned to mush after a rain. As for eco-friendly options, I’ve looked into recycled-fiber underlayments, but like you said, they’re either crazy expensive or don’t actually perform. Until something better comes along, I’m sticking with synthetic for anything that might sit exposed for more than a day or two. It’s not perfect, but at least I’m not redoing work.
I hear you on the felt turning to mush—had the same thing happen last spring when a freak storm rolled in before we could get shingles down. The edges curled up and it was a mess to fix. I do miss how easy felt is to cut, though. Anyone else find synthetic gets weirdly static-y? I swear I looked like I’d wrestled a porcupine after laying it out. Still, I’d rather deal with that than redo half the roof. Has anyone actually found an eco-friendly option that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? I keep hoping something decent will pop up.