Synthetic Roofing Underlayment Will Continue to Take Market Share from Asphaltic Products

Cleveland OH, December 15, 2021 – Synthetic underlayment, which accounted for 61% of the market in 2020, will continue to see strong advances in demand through 2025, rising 5.2% annually during that time, finds a new Freedonia Group analysis. Increasing use of synthetic underlayment will be supported by continuing contractor interest in the material because of its performance properties:

• Synthetic underlayment is generally highly resistant to tears and punctures.
• Its slip-resistant surface enhances worker safety.
• Many versions of the material are considered to be waterproof and thus meet more stringent building code requirements for keeping water out of structures.

Self-Adhesive Underlayment Trends Boost Prospects for Synthetic Products

A factor that has promoted use of synthetic underlayment is its ease of installation. When first introduced to the US in the late 1990s, a much higher share of synthetic than asphaltic underlayment featured self-adhesive peel-and-stick backings that greatly reduced the time and complexity of installation. Roofing contractors with staffing shortages used self-adhesive synthetic underlayment to solve their labor problems.

While both synthetic and asphaltic underlayment manufacturers now offer a broad range of self-adhesive products, contractors who switched to synthetic underlayment because of its ability to reduce the time of construction jobs are somewhat less likely to use asphaltic products again.

Want to Learn More?

Roofing Underlayment is now available from the Freedonia Group. This study analyzes the US market for roofing underlayment, defined as the membranes installed on top of a roof deck prior to the installation of roofing to provide additional protection against leaks. Historical data (2010, 2015, and 2020) and forecasts for the years 2025 and 2030 are provided for roofing underlayment demand in millions of squares (one square equals 100 square feet) by:

• product
• barrier property (water-resistant and waterproof)
• installation method (self-adhesive and mechanically attached)
• residential and commercial building markets
• application (the new and reroofing segments in residential and commercial building construction)
• US geographic region and subregion

Forecasts are also provided for roofing underlayment demand in dollars (including inflation).