Is Roof Felt The Same As Tar Paper

Sometimes called roofing felt underlayment roofing tar paper or roll roofing this is a layer of protection installed between the roof deck and the roofing shingles.

Is roof felt the same as tar paper.

Roofing felt or tar paper is infused with a petroleum based solution to provide an additional layer of roof protection under shingles. Roofing felt offers an additional layer. We explain when double coverage of felt underlayment is recommended and we describe how to figure out if your roofer installed a single layer or double coverage layer or maybe no layer of felt under the roof shingles. When most people think of roofs they typically think of shingles or metal roofing.

For decades roofers have fitted a layer of felt over a roof s sheathing or roof deck before installing shingles. Although tar paper has traditionally been the standard undercoating for shingles as of 2010 synthetics are becoming more popular as an underlayment. It s an asphalt saturated paper that increases the water resistance of your roof from wind driven rains or blow offs. Roofing felt is a layer of tar paper installed beneath the shingles to provide a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.

Felt paper is also code and many states have varying requirements as to its application. Synthetic underlayment started gaining popularity in the last decade. A special underlayment may be recommended by the manufacturers of specific roofing product and hybrid products. Lighter than felt synthetic underlayment is just as easy to work with and is just as durable if not more so than felt paper.

But felt paper has problems where it overlaps the sheet below and where the nails penetrate the felt. Felt paper or tar paper is also a rolled material you see roofers nailing down under shingles. Our opinion is that on new asphalt shingle tile fiber cement slate and many wood roofs most roofing contractors apply an underlayment membrane of roofing felt tar paper or fiber reinforced roofing felt. Double layer or double coverage roofing underlayment are defined here.

If water backs up under the roof as happens with ice damming water can flow up and under the. Felt paper also referred to as tar paper was the standard underlayment material in roofing for decades. Roofing felt underlayment layers. Tar paper also called roofing felt is used under shingles.