What Are the Roles of the Underlayment?

Learning about the different parts of your roof can help you make better decisions when the time comes to schedule a roof repair or roof replacement project. Today, we will talk about the underlayment. This is one of the most important parts of your roof because it helps protect your roof sheathing and prevent roof leaks. Dior Construction, an expert residential roofing contractor, explains more:

Extra Protection

A roof replacement can take a variable amount of time depending on several factors such as the size of the roof, the current weather and the roof’s design. If a roof replacement takes more than a day to finish, the underlayment will serve as a strong barrier protecting the vulnerable roof decking. Roof underlayments are made from water-resistant roofing materials. They act as an extra layer of protection that works together with your shingles to protect your roof’s structure.

Chemical Degradation Prevention

The underlayment also protects problems between the roof sheathing and roof covering from occurring on older roofs. Resin pockets in pine and fir roof boards can have a chemical reaction with the roof covering materials. Fortunately, many modern homes have roof decking made from plywood or oriented strand board that won’t have this problem. As an experienced residential roofing services provider, we still insist on installing high-quality underlayment to prevent reduce the risk of roof leaks.

Moisture Barrier

Roof-covering materials like asphalt shingles are not completely waterproof; rather they are water-resistant. Manufacturers design them to be installed over a waterproof membrane of some sort, which is the underlayment. Underlayments protect the most vulnerable areas of your roof from water damage such as the areas surrounding roof penetrations, the low-slope areas of your roof and areas where roof covering materials change or end. The underlayment is designed to prevent the liquid form of moisture from passing through but may allow the passage of moisture vapor to prevent moisture issues in your roof.

You can rely on our company for all of your asphalt shingles installation needs. We are one of the few GAF Master Elite® contractors in the country, so you can be sure that we won’t make any mistakes during your roof installation. This certification also means we can offer a wide range of GAF products. Call us at (201) 470-5077 to learn more about our services and products or to ask for a quote. We serve Bergen County, NJ, and other nearby areas in New Jersey.