Diverge from the standard exterior design and material choices of your or your client's neighbors with a stunning cedar shingle roof. Cedar shingles are a stylish and sophisticated roofing material.
Cedar has been a preferred roofing material since the 17th century and remains a popular choice among homeowners. The wood's natural elegance can complement just about any architectural style. Even as the material ages, it transforms from bright reddish tones to a distinguished silver and gray hue. Along with unmatched natural aesthetics, cedar shingles offer a range of advantages, including improved energy efficiency, durability and natural resistance.
Whether you're a roofing contractor or a homeowner considering installing cedar shingles, installing the right type of underlayment is essential. Here's everything you need to know about cedar roof underlayment.
Cedar Shake Wood Roof Underlayment: What to Put Under Shingles
Cedar shingles rely on proper roof underlayment and installation techniques to guarantee lasting home protection, appeal and longevity.
Cedar shakes and shingles are known for their outstanding natural beauty and exceptional long-term functionality. However, the longevity of the entire roof structure will largely be determined by the type of underlayment installed under the cedar shingles.
What Is Roof Underlayment?
Underlayment is a thin material layer installed over the roof deck, below the shingles and other roofing materials. Proper cedar shake underlayment can minimize updrafts that can cause fires to penetrate the roofing materials, improve household insulation, and prevent moisture and other harmful elements from entering a home.
Underlayment also ensures the cedar roof shingles last longer, better protecting the materials from harsh weather conditions that can prematurely cause the wood to rot, break or crack. Even though cedar wood is naturally rot-resistant, prolonged exposure to excessive moisture can lead to water damage.
Why Is Roof Underlayment Important?
As a homeowner or roofing contractor, you might wonder if roof underlayment is worth it. Roof underlayment is an investment that can add protection for a home, longevity to a roof and defense against moisture. While a protective coating, like Total Wood Preservative (TWP)® 200 Series, can help protect the wood in rainy climates, underlayment is just as necessary.
Protection
If you want to take extra precautions to protect your or your client's home, then roof underlayment is essential — proper roof underlayment will ensure moisture and debris won't easily infiltrate the house.
Longevity
Underlayment can also help extend the longevity of a roof. That extra layer underneath provides an extra layer of durability. The underlayment can extend the longevity of the shingles by repelling moisture, and it helps prevent moisture damage to the roof deck and the home's interior structures.
Underlayment also provides a barrier that protects the roof deck from coming into contact with tar from the shingles, which can cause damage. Tar is a byproduct of cedar shingles that can stain and deteriorate the roof deck over time.
Defense Against Mold and Mildew
Heavy rains and storms are some of the significant problems that plague roofs. With roof underlayment, you can take active steps to defend a home against bad weather. During heavy rainfall, you can have more confidence that your or your client's home will remain protected. Underlayment can also help defend against mold and mildew.
Noise Reduction
Aside from its protective qualities, roofing underlayment also offers the benefit of reduced noise. This thin layer of material can dampen sounds and vibrations from heavy rainfall, ensuring the home remains more peaceful during extreme weather conditions. The level of noise reduction depends on the type of underlayment installed.
Types of Underlayment for Cedar Roofs
The most common underlayment installations beneath cedar shingles are felt and synthetic.
Felt Underlayment/Tar Paper
Felt underlayment is usually made from synthetic materials like fiberglass or natural materials like wood cellulose. They're then layered with a protective asphalt coating to defend against debris and moisture. This is a traditional underlayment option for cedar shingles.
Felt underlayment is typically available in 15-pound or 30-pound rolls. This material offers extra weather barriers to reduce blow-offs and water damage. It provides roof deck protection and prevents roof sheathing unevenness.
However, felt underlayment is also associated with some potential disadvantages. Felt is prone to tearing when exposed to excessive moisture and cold weather over time. As a result, it's not the best choice for cold and rainy climates. It is also prone to damage when exposed to high heat, so it's not suitable for other types of roofing materials like metal.
Synthetic Underlayment
If you're looking for a high-quality underlayment that's easy to install, synthetic underlayment is a popular choice that could be right for you. This type of underlayment material is made from polypropylene, fiberglass and polyester. Synthetic underlayment is suitable for homes exposed to harsh weather conditions. It can withstand various kinds of climates without wearing down.
Synthetic underlayment is lighter than felt materials and more resilient to bad weather. It is also resistant to UV damage and provides extra insulation, which means less heat loss and better indoor temperatures.
When it comes to the downfalls of synthetic underlayment, the primary consideration is that it costs more than felt. However, it can last longer than felt. So, it remains a worthwhile investment.
But what is the best underlayment for shingles? While either felt or synthetic underlayment will provide dependable results and support the performance of a cedar roof, synthetic options are considered the best installation option today.
Reasons to Install Synthetic Materials Under Cedar Shingles
A home's roof provides dependable and lasting protection. Only the best roofing materials and installation techniques can ensure optimal results. Cedar roofs are prone to excessive damage if installers don't use reliable tools and proven techniques. Cedar Roof Coatings can provide you with the roofing expertise and services you need.
There are several advantages of synthetic underlayment.
Versatile Materials
Synthetic materials are versatile — instead of asphalt, which tends to break down easier and can't handle moisture as well, synthetic materials are designed to withstand wear and defend against various elements. This gives homeowners and roofing contractors a considerable advantage when it comes to protecting homes. With synthetic underlayment's versatility, it is a worthwhile investment for any house.
Fast and Simple Installation
Synthetic underlayment is much easier to install than more traditional underlayment materials because it usually comes in longer rolls, so installers will make fewer trips to and from their truck to install the new materials. Professional installation and maintenance by Cedar Roof Coatings make the task even more straightforward.
Lightweight Construction
The more modern underlayment also tends to be lighter than traditional varieties. Synthetic materials can often be constructed to be lighter but just as effective as heavier alternatives. The lighter weight can be better for your home and easier for roofers to install.
Durability in High Wind Velocity Zones
Synthetic underlayment is extremely durable. For those who live in areas of high winds or frequent storms, investing in synthetic underlayment can give you the protection you need for your or your client's home.
Improved Long-Term Performance and Protection
Overall, synthetic underlayment can provide better longevity and defense against moisture, wind and debris. When it comes to your or your client's roof, you want to be sure you're getting the highest-quality materials available. Synthetic underlayment can offer that. Work with Cedar Roof Coatings to find the cedar roof services you need.
Cedar Roof Coatings: Your Best Source for Cedar Roof Repair and Maintenance
For years, Cedar Roof Coatings has been the most trusted, sought-after cedar roof inspection, maintenance and repair company for homeowners throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties. As a family-owned and operated company, we care about the quality of our services and strive to always provide our Connecticut and New York clients with the most effective, comprehensive and reliable solutions for lasting comfort and protection.
Call 203-847-5740 to schedule cedar roof repair or maintenance services today, or complete our online contact form to request a project quote.