How To Put Roofing Paper

Setting the roll and then nailing off.

How to put roofing paper. Most roofing suppliers carry 15 lb. Roof felt also known as tar paper is a waterproof fiberglass product. Lay the first course of tar paper lengthwise on the roof so one edge is covering the drip edge nailed to the roof. It improves look and uniformity because your roof deck might not lie perfectly straight or flat a layer of roof paper gives an even uniform surface upon which you can install your shingles.

Place a final piece of tar paper over the top of the roof attaching it so it overlaps the tar paper on both sides of the roof. The most common size width for rolls of roofing paper is 36 inches. How to install roofing tar paper. Unroll the paper on the roof and cut it to the correct length with a utility knife.

Roofing felt prevents the deck from being exposed to the elements before or while the shingles are being applied. The felt provides a layer of additional weather protection between the roofing finishing material shingles tiles and the roof decking. It is used for temporary roofing for weatherproofing and as an underlayment under shingles or other permanent roofing materials. This video walks through the very basic steps for installing tarpaper felt.

Staple it to the plywood with a staple gun placing the staples at 6 to 8 inch intervals along the edges and in the middle of the paper. Some roofers prefer to attach felt underlayment with 1 inch roofing nails or special nails with plastic washers but most codes allow staples which are easier to drive. What is roofing paper or felt. The idea is to make sure water that falls on the roof drips down from paper to paper and off the roof rather than up under the tar paper potentially damaging the roof s wooden structure.

Starting a roof with tarpaper felt. Felt paper also called tar paper or builder s paper helps shed water that gets under the shingles protects the asphalt shingles from the resins in the wood decking increases a roof s fire rating and helps keep your house dry if it rains during the job. Whether you re building a new house or putting a new roof on your existing house installing tar paper first helps waterproof the roof and prevent leaks.