Roofing Felt Vs Tar Paper

For decades roofers have fitted a layer of felt over a roof s sheathing or roof deck before installing shingles.

Roofing felt vs tar paper.

Ft or unrated 30 lb. Item 656632 model 0903000. Most of the felt paper stocked by lumberyards today is either unrated 15 felt which typically weight around 7 or 8 lbs. Roofing felt or tar paper is infused with a petroleum based solution to provide an additional layer of roof protection under shingles.

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. Although tar paper has traditionally been the standard undercoating for shingles as of 2010 synthetics are becoming more popular as an underlayment. The sheathing paper specified by code irc is astm rated type 1 paper astm d226 an asphalt saturated felt tar paper which weighs a minimum of 11 5 pounds per square. Felt paper also referred to as tar paper was the standard underlayment material in roofing for decades.

Fast forward 170 years and roofing felt is still the most popular roofing material now used as an underlayment being installed today. Roofing felt is comprised of a base made from natural materials such as wood cellulose or synthetic ones such as fiberglass or polyester and then coated or saturated with a. Felt is commonly sold in either 15 or 30 rolls measuring 36 inches wide. Generally speaking roofing felt is a felt paper that is soaked in asphalt and other water resistant compounds to produce a membrane.

Lighter than felt synthetic underlayment is just as easy to work with. It was easy to use durable and even had alignment lines to help with the shingle installation. It also offers fire resistance required for home construction. Roofing felt offers an additional layer.

Synthetic or felt roofing underlayment which is better. Long ago a 15 role actually weighed. Per square 100 sq. Of course it is a bit more technical than that but this is the basic idea behind how felt works.

Gaf shingle mate 36 in x 144 ft 400 sq ft felt roof underlayment.