Most homeowners don’t have any idea what is under the top surface of the roof that covers their home. Roofing is more complicated than its outer covering of asphalt, wood or tile. Besides the covering, the roof system is composed of an underlayment, deck, flashing and gutters. With an annual inspection, homeowners can rely on Goose Creek roofing professionals to keep all parts of a roof functioning properly.
The layer immediately beneath the roofing shingles is called the underlayment. This is the surface on which the shakes or shingles are attached. The most common type is roofing felt, more commonly known as tar paper. It is not actually made of paper but often consists of fiberglass that is impregnated with asphalt. Two basic thicknesses are available: 15 and 30 pound. The thicker, 30 pound material is somewhat more durable. Today’s building codes require this material to be fire, wind and tear resistant. Its purpose is to provide added protection against moisture. In order to accomplish this, the layers must be overlapped slightly during installation. Also during installation, roofing felt often requires measures to keep it smooth in order to avoid wrinkling of the outer surface.