having a new roof fitted on my property and have been advised to use 'non rot felt' instead of standard felt. does seem a lot thinner though. any downfalls / advantages on use ?
- posted
19 years ago
having a new roof fitted on my property and have been advised to use 'non rot felt' instead of standard felt. does seem a lot thinner though. any downfalls / advantages on use ?
The "felt" is a layer of asphalt. The thicker, generally, the better. But a lot depends on where you live, what the climate it, etc.
Northern New England has different challenges than southern New England and Florida and Arizona are entirely different beasts.
(though I imagine there's lots of scrap felt to be found in Florida today).
Never heard of it. Unless they mean "perforated". Tom Work at your leisure!
Contractor friend mentioned a new felt replacement that is much lighter, and about twice as expensive as #30 felt. Is there a brand name for the no rot?
TB
He may be referring to fiberglass, as opposed to "rag" reinforced felt underlayment. Best reference: go to Google, and search "purpose of roofing paper" , inside quotes. In that 2002 thread there is a good summary letter of the advantages/downfalls of glass reinforced felt. Read the whole thread.
Never heard of "non-rot felt".
Felt comes in #15 and #30 which basically means one is thicker than the other (weight has nothing to do with it). #15 is thin like tissue paper and can be ripped easily--you can't use it on a steep roof because the roofers will tear it during installation. #30 is what should be used.
There are a lot of new "underlayment" products on the market but none of which are worth the extra money for a regular roofing installation, IMO. Felt only serves two purposes: it protects the roof before the shingles are installed and it acts as secondary leak protection if there is a "blow-off" of shingles. Otherwise, it doesn't do anything. In fact, most shingle manufacturers only recommend the installation of felt, they don't require it for the installation of their shingles.
Bruce A&B Construction Houston, TX
The black asphalt felt has been used for years. It does NOT rot. They are just trying to make money off of you.
T.J.Construction Co.
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Could also be the stuff called "Tri-Flex 30" from Flexia of Canada. I picked up a sample at a local home show a few months ago. Impossible for me to rip with bare hands.
The blurb printed on the material says: "Proven for 20 years" "Won't wrinkle, rot, crack or dry out like felt." "Won''t rip or tear away from nails" "8 times lighter than 30lb felt" "Leave exposed for up to 6 months before applying the finished layer" "20-year warranty" "Meets all national building codes. Now MiamiDade accepted."
I haven't used it, so I can't share any firsthand experience. Cheers!
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