I’ve received several inquiries for writing DIY roofing posts which always leads me back to searching Home Depot or Lowe’s website for product comparisons. Home Depot roofing materials are purchased, utilized, and offered by many local roofing contractors to their customers. Ultimately, when comparing roof installation bids, materials are negligible and workmanship is king. However, for the exercise of comparing ‘apples to nectarines’, I would like to tackle the difference between the underlayment Roof Life of Oregon routinely uses and the readily available Home Depot roofing underlayment.
When purchasing a big ticket item like a car, TV, or roof, common sense says you should seek as many bids as you can stand listening to. The question is, “Are you really comparing apples to apples?” At Roof Life of Oregon, we use a synthetic roof underlayment to ensure your family is protected from the great outdoors. The difference when using a synthetic roof underlayment is if an erosion hole should occur (what’s an erosion hole?), due to natural wear and tear, the synthetic roof underlayment can remain exposed for six months and will not swell, warp, wrinkle or deteriorate. The Home Depot felt roof deck protection materials will deteriorate and eventually expose your roof deck to the Great Northwest’s weather much sooner than its synthetic counterpart.
Certainly, the idea is for your roof underlayment to remain covered for the duration of the roof’s life. Again, the synthetic roof underlayment is designed and guaranteed to last as long as your roof. The felt underlayment comes in 15 lb. and 30 lb. styles and many local roofing contractors use the thicker 30 lb. version simply because it’s easier. However, 30 lb. roofing felt won't provide the long-lasting protection of synthetic underlayment.
Your roof underlayment is only one of the components of your roof, but if your roofing contractor starts with a Home Depot roofing material what other kinds of materials are going on your roof? Additionally, what type of workmanship is going into your roof if your roofing contractor seeks roofing material from a DIY home improvement center? Portland roof contractors are a dime a dozen and you need to make sure you put in your due diligence and get all the facts. Research the roofing materials and roofing workmanship that are being used, because being an informed consumer, and understanding if you’re getting an apple or nectarine, just makes common sense.