When installing a roof on your home, one aspect of the roof installation process is laying down the felt. This material is placed between the roof decking and the shingles. The felt is made up of a base that contains either natural or synthetic materials. The felt is then covered in a protective coating.
Protecting Your Home from Leaks
Roofing felt assists your roof in shedding water and certain types of roofing felt are also water-resistant. However, non-synthetic felt can still be somewhat permeable. Repelling moisture is important because it helps prevent leaks and also stops your roof from rotting. Roofing felt provides an extra level of protection against water and ice damage as well.
Choosing Roofing Felt for Any Type of Climate
If you live in a climate with extreme weather, it might make sense to use a non-bitumen underlayment. These types of underlayments do not absorb moisture and this makes them ideal for climates where there is a lot of rain or where hurricanes are a problem. Hurricanes can penetrate your roof with moisture and your roof is more likely to start leaking after a hurricane.
However, in a more temperate climate, it makes more sense to use an asphalt-saturated underlayment. It uses refined crude oil to repel water and also is more resistant to stains. However, it's not as easy to install as a rubber asphalt underlayment.
The Consequences of Not Using Roofing Felt
If you do not install roofing felt, your roof will not last as long and will need to be repaired more often. Your shingles will wear out more quickly and will be more likely to be destroyed by strong winds. You will also save more money if your roof has felting because you will not have to repair as many broken shingles.
Hiring Contractors to Install Roofing Felt
Fortunately, if your roof will be installed by roofing contractors, they will add roofing felt. The only question is the type of roofing felt that you would like to have installed. However, they will definitely install roofing felt because it's much safer for a roofing contractor to walk on a roof when the felt is in place because they will be less likely to slip and fall off the roof.
While roofing contractors will usually use fall-safety prevention equipment and are also experienced working on a roof, it's simply too dangerous to work on a roof that isn't designed correctly with roofing felt. For more information, contact a roofing company near you.