Roofing Felt

Roofing felt is the layer of asphalt saturated paper that goes underneath roofing shingles in order to ensure that no water leaks into your home. Waterproofing your home with roofing felt is absolutely essential if you use asphalt, wood, or shingles as your primary roofing material. This material comes in rolls which can be cut to whatever length is needed. In order to properly handle roofing felt, you'll need to know a couple of critical factors, including what roofing felt is, how to maintain and repair the material, and what to look for during installation. This article will attempt to cover the basics of this wonderful material so that you can know the fundamentals. This may greatly assist you in your efforts to keep your home well maintained.

Fundamentally, roofing felt is hefty paper or cardboard which has been saturated with asphalt and impregnated with tar and bituminous coal. Most roofing felt is also coated with sand or other abrasive materials to ensure that it doesn't stick to itself while rolled up. The sand also helps to keep the asphalt coating on the paper, protecting the roofing felt from inclement weather.

Roofing felt is primarily used to waterproof a roof. It's only one layer that goes down when putting together a roof, but it is certainly one of the most important ones. The roofing felt goes underneath other layers like shingles or shakes. This is partially because this material doesn't deal too well with exposure to the elements.

Rolls of roofing felt can be bought in various dimensions and cut to different lengths. The thickness of the material also varies. The most common kinds of roofing felt are 15lb. or 30lb. thicknesses in rolls 3 feet wide and 150 or 300 feet long. It's necessary to have a sufficient amount of the material since it's most effective to have a bit of overlap when laying the roofing felt down.

If you begin to notice damp spots on your ceiling at home, it may indicate that your roofing felt is starting to fail. This occurs over time as the material becomes more porous, eventually letting significant amounts of moisture through. Regular maintenance will ensure that your roof stays intact.

Check your roof for changes in color. This may be a sign that it's time to do some maintenance to the roofing felt. Normally you can identify a bad section of roofing felt by obvious damage signs. Blisters or cracks in the material are a sure sign that the section in question is no longer good. For the most part, patching over a bad section with new roofing felt should solve the problem.

If you notice that you need to patch the roofing felt regularly, it may mean that it's time to do a major overhaul of your roof. If the roof needs to be recovered, make sure to consult a specialist. You can typically get in touch with a builder for an unbiased opinion on the best direction to go. Major roofing jobs require professional attention.

The following is not intended to be a complete guide to roofing felt installation, merely some tips that you should remember to do a good job. If you have any specific questions related to your home, make sure to contact a contractor in your area.

1) Make sure that the roof is clean and dry. The roofing felt is supposed to go on top of the sheathing to protect it from environmental damage. If the sheathing is wet for any reason, make sure to allow it to dry completely before placing the roofing felt. The last thing you want to do is to trap moisture underneath the felt - this can lead to damage of the sheathing material and the roofing felt.

2) Apply the roofing felt smoothly. If you leave air bubbles or junk under the felt, the roof will not be constructed properly. This will lead to future problems since the roof will not be watertight. Take your time and smooth out each section of roofing felt as you apply it.

3) Make sure to overlap the roofing felt strips. The entire point of roofing felt is to ensure that water and moisture don't enter your home. Overlapping the strips of felt is the only way to properly get the job done. It requires more material, but it is ultimately worth it. Don't attempt to cut corners!