Interesting question about felt lasting more than 7-8 years in Midwest winters. I’ve only seen it hold up that long if the roof pitch is steep and there’s zero shade or pooling, but even then, curling edges seem pretty common after a few rough seasons. Has anyone tried layering felt with an ice & water shield in trouble spots? Wondering if that combo gets you a bit more mileage, or if it’s just delaying the inevitable.
Has anyone tried layering felt with an ice & water shield in trouble spots? Wondering if that combo gets you a bit more mileage, or if it’s just delaying the inevitable.
I’ve patched a few valleys and low spots with both, hoping to squeeze out another year or two. It did help with leaks after heavy snow, but honestly, the felt still started curling at the edges after a couple of rough winters. Midwest weather just seems brutal on anything that isn’t synthetic. Still, I get wanting to stretch things—sometimes you just need a little more time before a full redo.
I’ve definitely noticed the same thing with felt—it just doesn’t hold up once you get a couple freeze-thaw cycles. I tried doubling up in a few problem spots on an older duplex, but the wind still managed to get under the edges eventually. The synthetic stuff seems to stay put better, but it’s pricier upfront. Has anyone had issues with synthetic getting slick to walk on during install? That’s been my only gripe so far...
Yeah, I’ve had the same issue with synthetic underlayment getting slick—especially if there’s any dew or frost in the morning. What I do now is keep a pair of those cheap rubber-grip gloves handy and try to avoid stepping on the seams. It’s definitely more stable than felt once it’s down, though. I will say, if you’re working on a steeper pitch, it’s worth taking your time and maybe even chalking out your path before you start laying shingles. The price stings, but I haven’t had to go back and patch wind damage like I did with felt.