Synthetic Underlayment for Metal Roofing

If you still use 30# roofing felt, you’re throwing your money away.

  • Our synthetic underlayment is 20 TIMES STRONGER than felt – it won’t rip or tear and it won’t buckle when wet.
  • It’s about 10 TIMES LIGHTER than felt so it goes up faster and puts less weight (and stress) on your roof.
  • And it’s the most slip resistant underlayment in the industry.

Installation is a snap!

Our roofing underlayment comes with a preprinted nail pattern and alignment guides and its 48″ width makes for a quicker installation.

Synthetic UnderlaymentThe underlayment of your roof is as important as the finish or exterior material you choose. This is particularly true if you are installing a new roof or installing after a tear-off of an older roof where you are down to the original decking. In the case where you are installing a metal roof over an existing roof, the importance of the underlayment is somewhat minimized because the old roof materials, as long as you have determined they are not too uneven or distorting, will act as a protective barrier between the roof deck and your new metal roof.

Over the last fifty years or so, most everyone used a petro-chemically soaked product known as roofing felt. There are various other names this product has been called such as “tar paper”, “roofing paper”, “felt paper” to name a few. It’s all pretty much the same thing though: a mat of organic or inorganic fibers impregnated with asphalt or coal tar pitch.

Today’s technology brings us a new synthetic underlayment that is vastly superior in all respects to “tar paper.”

Our synthetic roofing underlayment comes with a 25-year limited warranty. It is made from a woven black polypropylene with polymer. It is UV resistant, the membrane is self-sealing where nails have penetrated it for attachment purposes and it is slip resistant.

Head-to-head comparison of our synthetic underlayment vs. traditional felt paper

Weight & Performance

  • The amount of synthetic underlayment needed to cover 10 squares weighs just 28 lbs. This is almost 10 times lighter than felt.
  • The amount of 30# felt paper needed to cover 10 squares weighs 275 lbs.
  • Our synthetic underlayment is tested watertight around fasteners.
  • Felt paper is not at all watertight around fasteners.
  • Our synthetic underlayment consistently out-performs and out-tests conventional roofing underlayments, and blows away old-technology underlayments.
  • Our synthetic underlayment doesn’t stick to metal roofing.
  • Felt paper sticks to metal roofing.

Installation Efficiency

  • Our synthetic underlayment offers faster, more efficient installation that means less labor cost and less call-backs for the contractor.
  • Felt paper is difficult to work with, installation goes slowly, and can subject contractors to call-backs due to blow-offs, rips, tears or weather damage.
  • Our synthetic underlayment lays flat and stays wrinkle-free.
  • Felt paper is stiff and difficult to uncurl.
  • Our synthetic underlayment comes in extra wide 48″ rolls to make installation quicker.
  • Felt paper’s narrow-width rolls mean more labor costs during installation.
  • Our synthetic underlayment is easy to cut and fold around corners.
  • Felt paper is equally easy to cut and fold, but can tear very easily.
  • Our synthetic underlayment’s skid-resistant surface is easy to walk on.
  • Felt paper can be slippery and dangerous to walk on.

Durability

  • Our synthetic underlayment withstands extreme hot and cold temperatures.
  • Felt paper can withstand cloudy days and that’s about it.
  • Our synthetic underlayment is UV stabilized and rated for a one year exposure.
  • Felt paper is not UV resistant and is easily damaged by UV rays.
  • Our synthetic underlayment is impervious to insect and vermin damage, as well as fungus and rot.
  • Felt paper can be damaged by insects and vermin, plus the material promotes fungus and rot due to moisture absorption.
  • Our synthetic underlayment is unaffected by water and can be left exposed for several months.
  • Felt paper absorbs water and should be covered immediately.

If you’re down to the decking, and just must save some money, then at least put our synthetic underlayment on the edges of your roof (eaves/gables) and on the valley(s) and ridge. In such an application, the eaves, gables and valleys would utilize vertical runs over the #30 tar paper. While this application voids the manufacturer’s warranty as it is considered “unstandard” you have at least protected the most vulnerable areas on your roof.

Pricing:

  • 10 square roll: $166.35.
  • That cost equals 17 cents per square foot.

Shipping Cost:

  • $24 per roll anywhere in the Continental United States. Please call for pricing on five or more rolls.

More Information:


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