I tried synthetic underlayment last year after a hailstorm tore up the old felt—honestly, it went down easier and felt sturdier, but I’m still waiting to see if it holds up long-term. My neighbor swears by it, though. Did you notice any difference in how it handled heat? My attic seemed a bit warmer after the switch, but maybe that’s just me overthinking it.
Did you notice any difference in how it handled heat? My attic seemed a bit warmer after the switch, but maybe that’s just me overthinking it.
I actually wondered the same thing after we had to redo our roof last fall. We went with synthetic underlayment too, mostly because the contractor said it was more durable and less likely to tear if another storm hits. But yeah, I swear the attic feels stuffier now, especially on sunny days. Maybe it’s just because I’m paying more attention after spending all that money, but I’ve read a few folks saying synthetic doesn’t “breathe” quite like felt.
Did you end up adding any extra vents or insulation when you switched? We didn’t, and now I’m second-guessing it. The cost for us was about $7k for everything (midwest, average-sized roof), but I’m not sure if that’s high or low compared to others. Did your insurance help out at all? Ours covered part of it, but there were still a bunch of out-of-pocket surprises...
But yeah, I swear the attic feels stuffier now, especially on sunny days. Maybe it’s just because I’m paying more attention after spending all that money, but I’ve read a few folks saying synthetic doesn’t “breathe” quite like felt.
You’re not alone there—my attic turned into a sauna after we switched to synthetic. I thought maybe it was just me being paranoid, but I guess that “doesn’t breathe” rumor has some truth to it. The contractor told me it was all about the vents, and to be fair, we did add a ridge vent and a couple of soffit vents when we did the roof. Not sure if it helped much, though... the cat still refuses to go up there.
Our insurance barely chipped in, which was a bummer. We had to cough up almost $8k (Northeast, mid-sized roof, asphalt shingles), and then found out halfway through that the plywood under the old shingles was toast. That added a surprise $1,200. Gotta love those “while we’re up here” discoveries.
Did anybody else have to deal with surprise repairs once they started pulling things apart? Or is my house just extra dramatic?
Gotta love those “while we’re up here” discoveries.
Oh man, you’re preaching to the choir. When we redid our roof after that windstorm last fall, I thought it’d be a simple tear-off and replace. Next thing I know, half the rafters have “character” (aka rot) and there’s this weird patch where someone decades ago just… stuffed insulation into a hole? Ended up tacking another $2k on top of the original quote. Not sure if it’s drama or just old house magic. And yeah, attic’s definitely warmer since the switch to synthetic—venting helped a little, but it’s not the same as felt for airflow in my experience.
That’s wild about the insulation patch—old houses really do have their own logic. I hear you on the attic heat after switching to synthetic, too. Mine’s definitely toastier since I went with it, but at least it’s not leaking anymore. Ever think about going with a cool roof or even a green roof setup? I’ve wondered if that would help with the attic temps, especially after storms mess things up. Curious if anyone’s tried that route or if it’s just not worth the hassle for older homes.
