Roofs are more than just the metal, wood, or tile that gets placed on top. There are actually several roofing system components that help protect your home, and the underlayment is one of them. It’s installed between the shingles and the roofing deck, and without it, our homes would be plagued with leaks, ice dams, and potential fires.
WHAT IS ROOFING UNDERLAYMENT?
Roofing underlayment is the layer of your roof that protects your home from the elements like wind, rain, snow, and ice. It’s made of asphalt-saturated felt paper or modern synthetic materials, which is able to soak up all the moisture that could soak through the shingles. This prevents the build-up of mold, which can make you and your family sick.
THE ROLE OF UNDERLAYMENT IN PROTECTION
Without underlayment, our homes would be ruined thanks to water damage. Thankfully, the underlayment can prevent this from happening by trapping excess moisture.
It’s also excellent protection against the wind. It offers a layer of resistance and helps prevent the roof from being uplifted.
In the winter, it’s the ideal ice dam protection. Ice that would normally pile up or melt and soak into your roof simply slides off.
Finally, underlayment offers fire resistance to your home. While roofs are not typically the first place fires start, it can certainly spread there. Thanks to the fire-resistant aspect of the underlayment, fires will spread less quickly.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT UNDERLAYMENT
The type of underlayment your home or business will require depends greatly on the type of roof you have. For example, if you have a concrete tile roof or roofs made out of heavy materials, synthetic underlayment may be a better choice.
You also need to consider the climate where you are building or replacing your roof. If you live in an area that gets heavy rains, you’ll need an underlayment that focuses more heavily on preventing moisture build-up than someone who lives in a desert region. For hotter regions, the underlayment needs to be able to handle the heat, so check the temperature resistance before installation. This is especially true when installing solar panels, which are designed to soak up the rays from the sun.
INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE
It’s crucial to have your roof installed correctly the first time, and this is especially true for the underlayment. If it’s not laid out correctly, it could bubble, which could cause your roof to look warped. This allows in moisture and other elements that can damage your roof.
Maintenance can help prolong the lifespan of your underlayment. Simple things like getting your roof cleaned yearly, especially after fall when the trees lose their leaves, and getting your roof inspected can add years to your roof.
There are also underlayment warranties you can get. This ensures that you can get your underlayment repaired in case something gets damaged due to weather, or other clauses covered in the warranty.
CONCLUSION
While roof underlayment may go unseen, it plays a critical role in the lifespan of a roof. It protects buildings from rain, wind, ice, and even fire. Cheap underlayment may do for a while, but in the end, you will probably spend more to repair or replace it, so it’s important to get high-quality underlayment when the roof is being installed. A professional roofer will be able to discuss this with you and offer guidance on the underlayment that is most suitable for your roof. Contact us today to get a free quote on a solar panel system.
