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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Difference Between Roof Felt And Leak Barrier For Factory Certified Roofers

Roofing felt has different names. The vernacular is tar paper but this name will soon be obsolete. With all the new synthetic felts out today, like the recently released TigerPaw by GAF, the word felt is a misnomer. Here's what Dictionary.com has to say:

1)a nonwoven fabric of wool, fur, or hair, matted together by heat, moisture, and great pressure.
2)any article made of this material, as a hat.
3)any matted fabric or material, as a mat of asbestos fibers, rags, or old paper, used for insulation and in construction.
–adjective
4)pertaining to or made of felt.
–verb (used with object)
5)to make into felt;  mat or press together.
6)to cover with or as with felt.
–verb (used without object)
7)to become matted together.
 
Except for Opus Roof Blanket , and not the penguin,the new synthetics are not really mats of any kind. None have paper or rag in them. None have asphalt. 

So roofers need new terminology. So says Dave, the roofing guru hired by GAF to pump us up once a year. Dave says we shouldn't use roof jargon and instead should call it what the homeowners call stuff.

Out goes the word felt and in comes deck protector, either tar paper (it hurts me to say that) or synthetic.

Next comes leak protector. Many call it ice and water shield but this is a name brand of Grace Products, like Coke is used by us Texans for all sodas. Grace calls it an underlayment and want you to use it as such. Sure cove the entire deck with it. Then call the doctor because the fungus amongst us is about to reach Steve McQueen's Blob size. 
 
GAF makes StormGuard, Underroof 2, and WeatherWatch. Certainteed makes WinterGuard, and who cares what the evil manufacturers Atlas and Malarkey make. Tamko has removed itself from the game by not having a certification program and enhanced warranties but their products are fine. Owens Corning put the screws to me back in 1981 and I'm still sore from it. That's $6500.00 in 1981 dollars that this poor roofer made good to the customer out of his own pocket. I guess it was lost in their bankruptcy.  

A prudent and knowledgeable roofer will use leak protector around all roof penetrations: dormers, pipes, skylights, chimneys, and roof to wall. Deck protector, the sticky felt like product, may be used in valleys but it is not a substitute for valley metal. The guy that wrote that he likes closed valleys because you don't need expensive metal in the valleys should have his valleys stomped out. One little hole in the valley and you'll think King Kong is on the roof the next time it rains.

If you are going for an enhanced warranty you'll need to use deck protector on the eaves too. This helps prevent ice dam leaking but if you vent properly this should not be a problem.

Write this down and memorize it: It'll never snow a foot here in Texas.

These leak protectors and synthetic deck protectors, coupled with balanced ventilation, professional starter strips, and heavy high profile ridge, and not the 20 year three tab, enhance your roof from good to great. They make everything in the home last longer. 

Your factory certified roofer can now take the proration from your material warranty and add labor costs to the warranty, almost removing the word "limited" from the warranty. Now it becomes an NDL, No Dollar Limit, warranty for 50 years in most cases.

That is why you must use a factory certified roofing company, the higher the certification the better. In GAF's case, you have Certified, which means little, and Master Elite, the top of the food chain.

Read what this dude has to say about it here: InspectApedia.
Here's GAF's propoganda. That means click it granny..

Jon Alan Wright
Jon Wright Roofing, Siding, and Windows
1915 Peters Rd., Suite 310
Irving, TX 75061
972.251.1818 Office
214.718.3748 Cell
972.554.8090 Fax
Master Elite Roofer: (Scroll to the bottom)

1 comment:

nat said...

Why do you call Malarkey an evil manufacturer?