The Importance Of Putting Down Felt Before Installing Roofing Shingles
The roof is your homes first line of define against the elements. Roofing shingles along with your home’s siding material covers the wood construction and when installed properly should prevent water from seeping into the living space. Many homeowners don’t realize that roofers install a thin layer of felt on the plywood prior to putting down the asphalt riding shingles. This boring layer of black felt, sometimes referred to as tar paper, may not be much to look at but is a crucial step to properly installing a new roof.
Professional roofing contractors in NJ understand the importance of this felt layer but many homeowners do not. Protection is one of the main reasons why roofing companies use felt between the plywood roof and roofing shingles. Roofing felt, or tar paper, acts as protective membrane between the two layers of your roofing system. This synthetic material acts as the first layer before the water-resistant asphalt shingles are applied as a second layer. If moisture happens to get through your roof shingles, the felt layer serves as an additional layer of protection. Installed properly it should act as a sealer and prevent moisture from affecting insulation, ceilings, walls and other parts of your home’s interior. In short it’s an easy way to help keep the inside of your home dry.
Almost every reliable local roofing company in NJ will install or at least recommend having tar paper installed before the roof. If this is not mentioned during the sales meeting or in the proposal be sure to ask your contractor before proceeding. Some questions to ask would be:
Will you be installing or replacing the roofing felt or tar paper before laying the roofing shingles?
What type of tar paper will your be installing?
Is there an additional fee to cover the roof with roofing felt before installing the shingles?
If you are considering a new roof and have any questions about the proper installation process for a NJ home or to schedule a free roofing consultation call JVW Contracting at (908) 601-3733 or contact us online.