What goes on underneath the shingles of your home when a new roofing system is installed?


If you are in the market to replace your roof and you are interested in a few of the components that make up a good roofing system, take a look at the photo below.

Felt Paper - A "leak barrier" that is applied over top of the sheathing (plywood) of a roof.  Felt paper is not designed to take a lot of water rather to deflect moisture under the shingles of the roof.

Ice & Water Shield -  Product that is positioned along the edge of the roof as well as in valleys and around dormer windows.  The ice and water shield provides more protection against water and is installed in areas that ice damming can occur.  When ice damming occurs water pools up behind the dam and finds a way through the shingles (shingles are designed for water to run down - not sit on top).  In our region, the snow storms of 2009 and 2010 called upon ice and water shield a lot and those that did not have it typicially had some water infiltration.

Drip Edge - The last line of defense against extreme weather conditions.  The drip edge actually provides a final piece of protection against water that finds its way to the edge of the shingle and not into the gutter, but rather wants to curl underneath the shingle back to the plywood.