- Used felt on my shed a few years back—cracked and curled after just one rough winter.
- Switched to a budget synthetic (don’t remember the brand, but it was thin) for my garage roof. It went down easy, but honestly, it felt almost like tarp material.
- Noticed it held up better than felt so far, but I’m not sure how it’ll do after a few more seasons.
- Agree about the slipperiness—almost wiped out when it got a little dew on it.
- For my climate (lots of freeze/thaw), I’d probably still pick synthetic over felt, even the cheap stuff... but I do wonder if the pricier brands are worth it.
I do wonder if the pricier brands are worth it.
That’s the million dollar question, right? I’ve put down both cheap and premium synthetics—honestly, some of the budget stuff does feel like glorified tarp, but it still outlasts felt in freeze/thaw cycles. The higher-end synthetics claim better UV resistance and tear strength, but I’ve seen them fail too if the install isn’t right. Sometimes you’re just paying for a name. If you’re not leaving it exposed for weeks, mid-range synthetic usually holds up fine. Anyone else notice some of those “grip” surfaces aren’t much better than regular plastic when there’s dew?
- I get the appeal of synthetics, but honestly, I’ve had old-school felt last 15+ years under asphalt in the Midwest—never had a leak until the shingles finally gave out.
- The “grip” thing is hit or miss. Some brands are slick as ice when wet, no matter what they claim.
- Pricey synthetics might be overkill unless you’re in a spot with crazy sun or wind. For basic jobs, felt’s still a solid bet if you’re not leaving it exposed.
- One thing—felt’s easier to patch if you ding it during install. Synthetics can tear weirdly and then you’re taping seams.
- Just my two cents... sometimes the old stuff works just fine.
Had a 12-unit building reroofed about 8 years ago—went with synthetic because the contractor swore by it. Honestly, it held up great during install (we had a few surprise storms), but I did notice that if you nick it with a shingle or tool, the tear can run a bit. Had to patch a couple spots with tape, which felt a little sketchy compared to just slapping another piece of felt on. On the other hand, I’ve managed properties with 20-year-old felt underlayment that only started leaking when the shingles were toast. Around here (Chicago area), felt seems to do just fine unless you’re leaving it exposed for weeks. Synthetic’s lighter, but I’m not convinced it’s always worth the extra cost unless you’re dealing with tricky weather or long exposure times.
On the other hand, I’ve managed properties with 20-year-old felt underlayment that only started leaking when the shingles were toast.
That lines up with what I’ve seen too—felt can be surprisingly resilient if it’s not left exposed for too long. Around Chicago, unless you’re dealing with a lot of wind-driven rain or big delays between tear-off and shingling, felt usually does its job just fine. The main thing I notice with synthetics is they’re great for those jobs where weather’s unpredictable and you might have to leave things open for a bit. But yeah, once you get a tear in synthetic, it can run pretty quick if you’re not careful. Tape patches always feel a little dicey to me too.
Did you notice any difference in how the roof “breathes” or handles condensation between the two? Sometimes I wonder if synthetic traps more moisture underneath, but I haven’t seen any hard evidence either way. Cost-wise, unless there’s a specific reason (like tricky slopes or long exposure), I’m with you—felt still makes sense for a lot of jobs. Curious if anyone’s had issues with synthetic getting brittle over time in cold climates?