Roofing options and questions

[nathan.principe]

Hey Everyone, this is the thread I mentioned that I would open in my main building thread "17x14 East Tx Cabin".  So bear with me as I try to explain whats been going through my head in terms of what to do about my roof.

        My First thought was to apply 1/2" OSB Sheathing ( cheap and economical) then roll out 30# roofing felt and call it a day untill more funds come in that I could apply to the cabin roof.  Thats what I THOUGHT I would do until I saw the thread "small house in moab" and the gentleman posted this pic about leaving roofing felt exposed for only 2 weeks!

So, here are some alternatives that have been going through my head

1. Use Tyvek House Wrap in place of roofing felt until I could gather the funds to apply the metal roofing
2. Go ahead and dish out for sheathing, roofing felt, and mineral felt roofing (in place of the metal roofing for budget purposes)
3. Hold off on the entire project until I could afford to do it all at once

       
Is there anything at all I am missing?  Cheaper roofing options and materials?  Is it even neccessary to install roofing felt under a metal roof?  Any input or advice is welcomed and encouraged, thx

[Pine Cone]

There are modern synthetic underlayments that can be left exposed for months.  Lighter and easier to install with limited person-power vs. 30 pound felt.

I used one by Palisade, there are others.  It has tiny plastic dots which make it safer to walk on.  I used in under a metal roof.  I think you can leave it exposed for up to 6 months, but I wouldn't want to push that.

http://www.sdp-products.com/HTML/palisade.html

[rdpecken]

Yep, I second the synthetic underlayment.  We used one from Berger http://www.bergerbuildingproducts.com/productsRoofShieldUDL.html under our steel roof.
It was easy to install, because it was very light weight.  But it was also very strong and tear-resistant, and shoes did not slip on it (unless it was wet).
Ours was exposed for about two months, with no ill effects.  This was in northern Arizona in the summertime, so there was some high wind and rain during the peak of the monsoon season here. It cost us about $150 for 1000 sq feet.
Anyway, I highly recommend it.

[Redoverfarm]

Nathan  I used Titaninum Felt which is similar to those mentioned.  It is suppose to be good for 6-8 months and I pretty well pushed the envelope and it withstood a harsh winter with no leaks.  It is recommended and I concour to use button nails in their installation instructions at the pre determined intervals. They make a couple different grades 30 & 50.

http://www.interwrap.com/titanium/udl_30_fb.html
http://www.interwrap.com/titanium/udl_50_FB.html


http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3613.msg41037#msg41037

[nathan.principe]

Ok, Im on board, after you all sent me in the right direction I did some googling.  Looks like the cheapest ( after all I am on a budget) is Tech-Wrap 150, which is $89 a roll 4'x250'.  The Tech-Wrap UL claims a 12 month UV resistant.  The sdp Palisade looks to be about $120 a roll.  I havent found a supplier for the other 2 brands, but all in all, this should be the direction Im heading, Thx everyone!

[rocking23nf]

I covered my whole roof with ice and weather shield, its like a thick tar paper with grip to in, and a sticky back.  It was unshingled for months and didnt even leak one bit.

It was pretty cheap for a roll also.

[Redoverfarm]

I covered my whole roof with ice and weather shield, its like a thick tar paper with grip to in, and a sticky back.  It was unshingled for months and didnt even leak one bit.

It was pretty cheap for a roll also.

The only draw back is that it is only 36" wide and maybe 50' in length if I remember correctly.  There are also varing grades one of which is self sealing which would be ideal for metal screws later if you install a metal roof. Storm guard is more cheaply made than Ice guard.

Lowes carries several brands of ice guard and underlament

http://www.lowes.com/pl_Roofing+Underlayment_4294858150_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1

[nathan.principe]

The Ice Shield stuff doesnt sound half bad, but for as much as I would need it would take approx 4-5 rolls to cover the entire roof, then we get back to the budget issue.  Thanks for the good ideas tho, im learning about more products then I knew existed

[astidham]

I used palisade synthetic 30# felt on mine and experienced heavy wind and rain with no leaks.
I paid $125.00 a roll, and it covers 10 square. very light and strong! 

[Squirl]

I used a Tarp.



It worked for a year.  I am still using the tarp for other things.  I expect to get years of service out of it.  I spent $30 for a 16x12 tarp from Lowes.  For your size, a 20x30 tarp should cover everything.  I think they would be around $80 for the better silver and brown ones vs. the thinner blue tarps.  They are also really easy to put up.

[rocking23nf]

I covered my whole roof with ice and weather shield, its like a thick tar paper with grip to in, and a sticky back.  It was unshingled for months and didnt even leak one bit.

It was pretty cheap for a roll also.

The only draw back is that it is only 36" wide and maybe 50' in length if I remember correctly.  There are also varing grades one of which is self sealing which would be ideal for metal screws later if you install a metal roof. Storm guard is more cheaply made than Ice guard.

Lowes carries several brands of ice guard and underlament

http://www.lowes.com/pl_Roofing+Underlayment_4294858150_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1

The rolls I bought were around 60$ for 3 feet x 50 feet.

[jan nikolajsen]

I would definitely put SOMETHING under a metal roof, or any finished roofing material. And I would spend as much money as needed to do it right, then save on less important cosmetic choices down the road. A leaky roof is bad style.

My thoughts on tar paper (it was my photo OP used above) is that it works very well for the price. Just cover it immediately. 30# paper is thick and literally dripping with asphalt juice. Any screw, staple or nail going through will seal up nicely next time the sun heats up the roof. The synthetic barriers, of which there are many, has only one advantage, IMO: Exposure time. Besides that they are vastly more expensive and not self sealing to the same degree.

If money was no concern I would cover the whole thing in Ice Guard or equivalent. Second best would be #30 tar paper with a synthetic layer on top to protect the paper from rips and wrinkling, and give me time to leisurely get the metal on.

I had a low slope (3/12) roof leak badly in a thunderstorm with just modern synthetic sheeting on.

Hope this helps.

[nathan.principe]

Thanks Jan, I thought you might chime in since it was your photo I used as insipiration for this thread.  Your opinion is def appriciated and respected since your build is coming together nicely.  Unfortunitly I am in the possition that I am in b/c off low funds, so I cant at teh moment afford to sheath paper and roof all at once, though I do understand the concern of the synthetic underlayment not being self healing and potentially leaking at those nail holes...... what about this, if I could get a hold of a large piece of 30# felt ( w/o paying for a whole roll) could I cut into 1" squares with a utillity knife and make my own roofing nails?  the thought would be that the piece of felt would self heal the hole.  I am I just talking crazy talk now? 

[MountainDon]

How much time do you estimate between applying the weather resistant barrier(felt or synthetic) and the finish roofing material?

We used #30 felt and though it was only about a month between the application of the felt and the metal panels, the felt had no problems at all. The big difference between our situation and that of Jan is likely the intensity of the sun and the temperatures. Moab is a bear in summer. We were/are sheltered by tall trees morning through night. Speaking of felt exposure, a couple of the walls on the cabin had the #15 felt exposed for months (over winter) and there were no problems.

The plastic cap nails are the thing to use. We had no tear outs on roof or walls. We also used more nails along the overlaps to help prevent winds from gaining a finger hold.


I would echo Jan on the quality of underlayment to be used, and to save money elsewhere. There are a few areas that are difficult/expensive to redo later. The foundation is one, the roof is another. Interior floors, wall finishes and trim can all be left unfinished in order to buy quality materials for a roof. (Unless there is a building permit condition that demands everything be completed before the CO is issued).

[nathan.principe]

no telling when, should not exceed 6 months.  My plan is to sheath the roof ( and underlayment)  1st, then finish the wall sheathing and soffits, next windows and doors.  After all that is said and done with I will put my focus back into finishing the roof. My reason for this is to keep the ball rolling on drying it in.  I have already noticed the floor sheathing getting a little warped at the seams that are not t&g.  I will let out a big sigh of relief when I know the shell is complete