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Ice Barrier Underlayment Re-Roof in Republic, WA

Re-roofing in Republic and the Ferry County towns with the ice barrier underlayment the county requires, laid to its detail at the eaves and valleys.

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  • Snow load and ice on roofs
  • Wind and wildfire-season damage
  • Rural homes across Ferry County

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Ice Barrier Re-Roof

Ice Barrier Underlayment Re-Roof: what it covers

Quick answer

Ice barrier underlayment is a self-adhering membrane laid under the covering at the eaves, valleys and penetrations, where meltwater and ice collect. Ferry County requires it, and a roofer lays it to the county detail on every re-roof before the covering goes on.

Ice Barrier Underlayment Re-Roof illustration for Republic, WA

Ferry County requires ice barrier underlayment, according to the county building applications page recorded in the FACTS sheet. In a county where snow sits on the roof for weeks, the underlayment is the layer that stops meltwater reaching the deck when ice forms at the eave.

The requirement applies to the re-roof, and the roofer confirms the detail for the building before the work starts. The layer is not a substitute for the framing check or for the ventilation of the attic, which are separate parts of the scope.

This page explains where the layer goes, how it is lapped and what the homeowner should see in the file. The county page is the reference for the requirement itself.

Service area
Republic & Ferry County
Availability
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Warning signs

Signs you need ice barrier underlayment re-roof

Ice and wet underlayment are slippery. Do not walk the eave while the layer is being laid, and let the roofer work with fall protection and the right footwear.

  • A re-roof without a record of the underlayment at the eaves
  • Meltwater staining along the eave line in the attic
  • Ice build-up at the eave in a thaw and freeze
  • Valleys with no membrane under the covering
  • Penetrations sealed only at the surface
  • A file that does not name the underlayment product
Our process

How our ice barrier underlayment re-roof visit works

  1. Strip to the deck and check it

    The old covering is removed and the deck is checked for soft or cracked sheets, which are repaired before the underlayment is laid.

  2. Lay the ice barrier at the eaves

    The self-adhering membrane is laid along the eaves, extending up the roof the distance the county detail requires, and rolled to bond to the clean deck.

  3. Lay it in the valleys and at the penetrations

    The membrane is continued in each valley and wrapped at each penetration, so meltwater that reaches those points is held by the layer.

  4. Lay the rest of the underlayment and the covering

    The standard underlayment goes over the rest of the roof, lapped to shed water, and the covering goes on over it with the flashing set to the detail.

  5. Record the layer and the product

    The record names the ice barrier product, its positions and the date of the work, with photographs of the eave before the covering goes on.

Why the eave is the critical place

Because meltwater forms on the roof above the warm attic and refreezes at the cold eave, and the ice pushes water back up under the covering.

Snow on a warm roof melts from below, and the water runs down to the eave, where the edge is cold. It freezes there and builds an ice dam, and the water behind the dam is pushed back up under the covering. The ice barrier at the eave holds that water on the deck instead of letting it reach the rafters and the walls.

That is why the layer is laid along the eave first and extended up the roof the distance the detail requires.

  • Meltwater forms above the warm attic
  • It refreezes at the cold eave
  • The barrier holds water on the deck

How the layer is lapped

Each sheet is laid to overlap the one below so that water runs over the layer and not under it, and the laps are rolled to bond.

Lapping is what makes the layer work. Each course overlaps the one below, so water running down the roof passes over the laps and not under them. The laps are rolled firmly to bond, and the edges are sealed where the product calls for it.

A layer laid with its laps running the wrong way lets water in at each one, so the roofer checks the lapping before the covering goes on.

  • Each course overlaps the one below
  • Laps run so water passes over them
  • Laps rolled and sealed as the product calls

What the homeowner should see in the file

The product name, the positions of the layer, the date and photographs of the eave before the covering, so a later roofer can see what is under the covering.

A file for a Ferry County re-roof names the ice barrier product, the positions it covers, the date of the work and photographs of the eave before the covering went on. Those four items show a later roofer or an insurer what is beneath the covering.

Keep the file with the roof record and the county reference for the application.

  • The product name
  • The positions the layer covers
  • Dated photographs of the eave

What the layer does not do

It does not replace ventilation, insulation or the framing check. It is one part of the detail, not the whole of it.

The ice barrier holds meltwater on the deck. It does not stop warm air rising into the attic and melting the snow, so the attic's insulation and ventilation are checked as well. The framing is checked for the snow load. A roofer who sells the layer as the whole answer has not looked at the building.

The county's requirement is for the layer. The rest of the detail is set by the roof and the county's other rules.

  • Not a substitute for ventilation
  • Not a substitute for insulation
  • Not a substitute for the framing check

Why the eaves get the layer first

The eaves are where meltwater stops, so the layer starts there and runs up the roof.

The ice barrier runs from the eave edge up the roof, usually past the line of the warm wall inside. Its job is to keep water that gets under the shingles from working its way into the house when ice forms at the edge. Starting at the eave and overlapping each course the right way is what makes the layer work in practice.

A layer laid poorly is worse than none, because it traps water on the deck without letting it out. The overlap has to shed toward the eave, the valleys need their own strip, and the nails must be placed where the next course will cover them. Those are the details a county inspector looks for and the details a homeowner should ask about before the crew starts.

  • Starts at the eave and runs up the roof
  • Valleys and penetrations get their own strip
  • Overlaps shed water toward the eave

The valleys and the penetrations

Valleys and pipe penetrations are the two places the general layer fails most often.

A valley carries the water from two slopes into one line. Where the ice barrier runs under the valley, it needs its own strip, laid so the water runs down the valley and not across it. A valley with no strip, or with the strip laid the wrong way, is a line of leaks in the first thaw.

Pipes and vents that pass through the roof are cut through the layer and sealed around the flange. The crew checks each penetration for a gap between the barrier and the pipe, because a gap there is the place where meltwater will find the deck first.

  • Valley strip laid to run with the water
  • Penetrations sealed around the flange
  • Gaps between barrier and pipe checked

Matching the layer to the rest of the roof

The layer has to work with the covering, the drip edge and the vents, not beside them.

The barrier, the drip edge and the covering are one system. A drip edge laid over the barrier at the eave sheds water past the layer, while a drip edge laid under it traps water behind the layer. The order is set so the water always runs out and over, never back under.

Ventilation is checked at the same time. A barrier does not stop warm air from melting snow from below, so the attic vents are checked against the layer to make sure the two work together.

  • Drip edge order checked against the barrier
  • Water runs out and over, not back under
  • Attic vents checked with the layer
Options

Types and options for ice barrier underlayment re-roof

Eave and valley ice barrier

The layer at the eaves and in the valleys, where meltwater and ice collect, laid to the county detail.

Full-roof ice barrier

Where the roof's shape or the county detail calls for it across the whole deck, the layer is laid over the full area.

Penetration detail

The layer wrapped at chimneys, vents and skylights, where water finds the joints first.

Ferry County

Why ice barrier underlayment re-roof is different in Ferry County

The county page recorded in the FACTS sheet names the underlayment requirement, and the roofer confirms the detail for the building.

Re-roofs in Curlew, Malo and the Stevens County towns follow the same county detail where Ferry County rules apply, and the roofer confirms the jurisdiction on the call.

Travel to a rural re-roof is shown on the quote, with the days on site.

Need ice barrier underlayment re-roof today?

Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.

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Where we work

Ice Barrier Underlayment Re-Roof across Ferry County

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Related

Ice Dam and Meltwater Repair

Clearing and preventing ice dams in Republic and Ferry County by fixing the eave, the ice barrier and the warm air leaking into the attic.

Full Replacement with Snow Framing

Replacing a whole roof in Republic and the Ferry County towns, with the framing checked against the county's roof snow load and the ice barrier laid.

Roof Snow Load Repair

Repairing roofs in Republic and the Ferry County towns that heavy snow has bent, cracked or sagged, checked against the county's roof snow load.

Guides

Read before you book

FAQ

Ice Barrier Underlayment Re-Roof FAQs

Is the ice barrier required for every re-roof?

Ferry County's building applications page, recorded in the FACTS sheet, requires it. The roofer confirms the detail for the building.

Does it stop ice dams completely?

It holds meltwater on the deck at the eave. It does not replace attic insulation and ventilation, which also affect ice dams.

Can I lay it myself?

Not safely or reliably on a steep roof. A roofer lays it to the county detail.

What product should the file name?

The product name the roofer used, with its positions and the date of the work.

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