Roofing felt, commonly called tar paper, is an important component of any roofing system. It provides the roof with additional waterproofing and protects the wood sheathing of a roof until the installation of shingles is complete. Building codes and shingle manufacturers typically require the use of felt. The lifetime and flammability guarantees of roofing systems require the use of roofing felt prior to shingle installation. Roofing felt is rated based on the weight of a 100 -square-foot section, with 15 and 30-pound felt being the most common.
Step One
Measure the length and width of the structure at ground level in feet. Multiply the measurements to determine the total area covered by the roof. If you have an irregularly shaped building, break the structure into several rectangles and measure each separately.
Step Two
Multiply the total area determined in step one by a correction factor to account for the roof pitch. This correction factor will take into account the greater area of the roof due to the pitch. If your roof pitch is 3/12 or 4/12, multiply by 1.25. For roof pitches of 5/12 to 7/12, use a factor of 1.3. Use 1.4 for up to a 9/12 pitch. For higher pitches, a factor of 1.5 to 1.7 can be used, although with less accuracy.
Step Three
Multiply the result in step two by 1.10 to account for waste. If the roof has complicated hips and valleys, add another 10 to 25 per cent to account for the added area.
Step Four
Divide the result from step 3 by 100. Round up to convert square feet to squares. Roofing materials are always specified in squares. One square is equal to 100 square feet. Most roofing felt is sold in rolls that are one square each.