Customer Reviews for GCP Applied Technologies Grace Ice and Water Shield 36 in. x 75 ft. Roll Self-Adhered Roofing Underlayment (225 sq. ft.)

Purchased this pricey membrane to waterproof a tongue and groove porch roof. Product is VERY sticky and requires a lot of care to install. We had the best luck by rolling it out as straight as possible and removing a strip of the backing paper at the end of the roll and adhering that. After that one person would lift the roll off of the roof slightly while pulling it tight while another person pulled the backer off and pressed it down. If it folds over on itself it WILL NOT come apart again, and make sure it is where you want it before you press it down. Not really a one person job. It totally seals the roof with a flexible, rubber membrane when applied correctly. Good luck!

This product is not worth purchasing in my opinion. The roll that we purchased had no "Ripcord" or split release built into the roll, and as such it ended up sticking to itself everywhere. We were able to get one strip down on the roof but had to junk the rest. Even the paper backing would not pull off smoothly. I would not recommend purchasing this item.

Worked great for my application. I used it to make some home made truck bed drawers water resistant. The drawers are made from plywood and the grace ice and water keeps the contents in the drawer from getting wet so I’m happy! Also used to water proof some storage under my skate ramp.

This stuff is exactly what I was looking for to re-roof a small building. It has great weight and tackiness, and cuts easily with a utility knife. I hadn't used this before, and for my shed job, I also used it in smaller widths. Working in some tight areas, it also did well as a 'spot sealer'. My only caution: in use, if this stuff sticks to itself on the application side, forget it; just cut that part away. Once I got the hang of handling this, the work was a breeze!

The only reason I gave this product 4 stars instead of 5 stars is the adhesive is so aggressive that it becomes difficult to work with. On its face, it is a great product and forms a substantial barrier against water & ice on a roof. I found it easy to cut using industrial scissors and the 6 inch & 1 foot markings make it easy to size for the area being covered. Generally the backing paper comes off cleanly but along the edges, the adhesive is gummy and "strings" as you unroll the underlayment (see picture). That gummy edge also makes it difficult to lap the material as it is being lain. I am not a professional roofer so I can't fault the product for my shortcomings in using this underlayment. Once you begin to lay it down, it cannot be repositioned if you get off track or develop a wrinkle - the adhesive is just too aggressive. So for the DYI'er working alone, it is difficult to work with. For the professional with a crew it is ideal. I laid one row with difficulty but as I finish the rest of the roof, I expect learning curve to help with a successful installation. This product is made in the USA.

I received the self adhered roofing element from Home Depot in good condition and got to work on our deck project which has a pitched roof over it. At the time of this review I've only used this material for the deck joists, which is a great insurance policy against wood rot. Sure enough, and much like in roofing applications, the material take nails for decking just as well, making a nice tight seal that will deter water. The adhesive is strong as iron and once you put in on the surface, there is little chance of it moving. It's also easy enough to cut and work with. No fuss, little mess, all performance as far as I'm concerned. Rain has a week or so from getting the roof up but we'll be using this material as the primary underlayment before we put down the shingles and wrap the project up.

Having worked in the residential. commercial and industrial construction trades for over 50 years I learned a long time ago that Grace products are always high quality, long lasting products worth every penny I've spent on them. I'm going to replace my shingled roof with a metal roof next year so I ordered this product for the underlayment. My brother and I will be installing this as it can be tricky and sometimes difficult for one person to install it. I'm looking at 30 to 40 years of protection.

Grace (GCP Technologies) ice and water shield is an excellent shingle underlayment to prevent damage from snow, ice and water. It comes in a 36 inch x 75 foot roll and really sticks to the roof sheeting for a good seal at the edge of the roof and to stop water from getting under the edge of the shingles. It rolls out easily and the lines make it easy to keep a straight line. Definitely a great product for the professional or homeowner.

This water shield is extremely easy to use. The material can be cut easily with a utility knife, and the paper backing is easy to peel off to reveal the sticky side. I’ve used other products in the past where removing this paper backing was near impossible, so that’s a very big incentive for me to use this product again in the future. The second reason I’ll definitely be buying this again in the future is how easy it was to use. For now, I was just using a very small amount of this material on some deck stair risers as you can see in the pictures, but the material formed around the risers very easily, and stuck extremely well. Again, other products didn’t seem to stick very well, and had to be warmed up or left in the sun for a bit before it would stick to any surfaces. But this stuff stuck to the risers immediately and just feels more solid and protective than other products I’ve used in the past. It is a bit expensive, but in my opinion this is an area you get what you pay for, and it’s worth it if there’s a chance this product prevents you from getting any water damage to your roof in the future.

The Grace underlayment is a superb product. I am not sure why anyone would not use a self adhered underlayment as part of their roofing job. I have total confidence my diy roofing repairs are sealed up water tight because of Grace membrane. The product can be tricky to work with the first time ( I ruined a long piece first time) The Grace water shield is extremely sticky and you get one try to do it correctly. I did the job by myself so i cut small sections no more than 7 feet long in my case and overlapped all seams by 6 inches. I very slowly peeled the backing with the membrane in place. I also cut the pieces inside since it is so hot outside in order to keep the material as manageable as possible. Take your time the product is high quality and costly, the less you waste the better.

Okay this stuff is heavy, seems durable, and very tacky, it does have have a wax paper type material that you have to peel off, the face of the product seems to have a texture with what looks like fiberglass strands or something similar to it for reinforcement i assume, like I said it's very tacky and difficult to handle if you remove too much of the protective film

I'd never used this product before, but I'm woking to remodel and area that previously had moisture problems, after consulting with some HD staff they pointed me to the GPC ICE and Water Shield, so this seemed like the perfect solution, A couple words of warning, it's heavy, and the adhesive it really sticky. It's pretty much impossible (for the beginner) to apply alone, You really need two people to get it applied straight and where you want it without air pockets (which you can poke with a nail and bleed out the air. After you get proficient in applying it the number of air pockets decreases (you do learn to do it better) but because of the weight (which improves its durability) of the product moving the sticky side around must be planned for. After some trial and error I (we) got the hang of it, and I'm really proud of the way it looks, realizing I'm about to stucco over it and hide it forever. I'm sure that this will provide a strong vapor/moisture barrier for my update. It certainly a better solution than what I was considering, and a whole lot neater looking. Just a great example of building products made for this century!

This Grace Ice and Water Shield (Self-Adhered Roofing under-layment) covers 225 Sq Ft of roofing deck (36 in. x 75 ft. Roll). I consider it to be the premium roofing water shield on the market, especially for shallow pitched roofs that get a lot of snow and ice in the winter. I have used it for years. I have tried other brands but none had the durability and quality of Grace Ice and Water Shield.

Ice and water shield is great roofing underlayment. I have a shed project I am working on and when I asked my friend who does roofing he recommended Grace ice and water, I am glad he did. This underlayment is very strong and i expect it will do a great job protecting my roof sheathing for years to come. It was easy to apply but it's very sticky so ( a good thing ) just make sure you have it placed correctly because it's a 1 time application. It cuts very easily with a standard razor knife and has a "rip strip" in the middle for cutting half's or folding into corners. I felt as though my roof was waterproof before I even put my shingles on. I have some left over and I'm sure I will find other uses for it in the future. Highly recommended versus regular old tar paper!

We have a small cabin on our property that is built into a hill side. The fireplace is covered in dirt and just has the chimney sticking up out of the ground. We have had a small leak somewhere around the bottom of the fireplace. We dug up the dirt around the fireplace and sealed the entire area with the ice and water shield. It is a sticky layer that is completely waterproof. It is easy to cut to the size we needed with a utility knife. You do have to be careful when applying it.If the sticky side touches another part of the sticky side, it will stick and not come undone. We found the easiest way to apply it was to score about 2 inches of the backing material and peal just the 2 inches off. We stuck the exposed part and then peeled away the backing from thee rest, working the material down onto the sub surface. This worked very well, especially since our sub surface was not completely flat. We had a rain last night of just over an inch and no leak. So far so good. I would recommend this as a first layer for any roof, especially low sloped roofs. We do not get much ice and snow in the south, but we do get a lot of rain at times. I believe this will work very well for what we have used it on. I will be getting more for some other projects we have coming up.

I have not yet installed this product. I have however, spoken to other builders and read reviews as well as technical information about the product. I'm very excited to use it on the project underway at this time. Many of my builder friends speak highly of it. It is a rubberized asphalt formulation has been proven to form a watertight bond with the roof deck. This self adheres making installation faster. It seals around roofing fasteners so there are no nail holes to leak. It just makes a superior shield.

Use this when putting down or redoing a rooft. It prevents leaks when snow has been sitting on a roof for months or the roof is along in years. Being sure the roof is clean enough (no protruding nails, etc.), roll this out to length, cut it, and pull the paper off the back-then stick it down. It adheres tenaciously to the roof surface and once down, you're done. It is not coming back up. However, once you start it right, the roll goes down easy. Even though it sticks, it needs a few nails here and there to be sure it isn't going anywhere. Then the shingles go on top. Because it is a rubber membrane, the rubber clings around nails and seals. So when the shingles go down, and the nails go in, the shield makies your roof waterproof. Imagine a wind storm ripping off a few shingles ten years from now. The ice guard will still be there. Felt paper will waterlog eventually if snow or lots of rain seeps through somewhere but the shield is impermeable. What else? Though I would not do this but it can be left on a roof, exposed and in place for up to three months. So there is no hurry putting shingles on it. For example, construction has stopped until recently due to lockdowns. With the shiled in place, it has been doing its job; it does not deteriorate over a few months. It has a high thermal threshold, 260 degrees, and even in hot, sunny areas of the country, a roof will never get that hot. In areas where weather brings either ice dams or wind-driven rain is severe enough to cause leaks, this shield protects against water infiltration, and the damange water can do either wet or as ice. A roof is out some 20-30 years in all kinds of weather and temperatures, hot and cold, dry and wet, and this shield is a must. Especially around anything that breaks the roof deck such as skylights, chimneys, etc., this product is a must, an absolute must, to prevent leaks. What I like is it is a great product that works. I find cutting it to size down on the ground to work better than trying to bring it up as a roll. Lap the seams by an inch or so to continue a new sheet extending from the prior rolled out and applied sheet. There is a rip cord feature that I do not use. I tried pulling the cord but that is not for me. I don't like it. To each his own. This is a superior product; it works well. The pricing is reasonable given the time span it will be in use. When you reroof 20 years later, just reapply new layers on top of the old. The old will never come off. On a new roof, you can put felt paper down, tack it, and then this product. I recommend it. You can't beat it. In fact, it is indispensible.

The 2.25 squares of underlayment arrived as a 3 foot by 75 foot roll packed in a very sturdy (but easy to open) box with substantial hand holes on each end: making it quite convenient to handle. (See photographs 1 and 2.) Those dimensions make it easy to deploy with minimal joining and overlaps. Precautions and warnings are posted on the package. A strong continuous release sheet covers the adhesive face. (See photograph 3.) The product is wound about a substantial core that prevents edge damage and facilitates handling on the roof. A practical approach is to expose only a narrow width of the adhesive for initial positioning. A pre-scored line is provided for doing so. (See photograph 4.) On the face of the membrane, printed grid lines help to align and size the product. (See photograph 5.) Ice & Water Shield adheres with light pressure / rolling under a wide range of temperature. And it tenaciously bods to itself when detailing about a roof penetration. I'm currently investigating with what liquid applied membranes it is compatible - for use with very complex details. Remnants, not practically retained for roof work, serve well as flexible flashing.

A ice & water shield type product is required, by code, for the first 3 feet inside the wall line where I live. I’m just starting the building of a new garage and wanted to apply this for the first 6 feet because it’s going to have a 2 foot overhang. Each box covers 225 sq ft, so I had to purchased two boxes. I used this when I re-roofed our house a couple of years ago and really like it, and have not had any problem. We, 2 of us, had no problem installing then. Just make sure you get everything lined up before you pull liner off. I’ll have just enough left over that I can use it around the entry door and windows. Great product.

I am giving this product an average rating because it is not very user friendly. I would not recommend buying this for a large project until you use it on something small. I am very glad I did not count on this one roll for my entire shed project. The roll should have covered my entire shed roof which is about 180 sq ft. I ran into issues right off the bat. I have used another ice & water shield brand so I tried to use this in the same manner. That was a big mistake. I ended up wasting 10'. This stuff sticks to everything!!! It was sticking to my gloves way too much. If it rolls over and sticks to itself forget pulling it back apart. I went back to the directions and realized you need start by sticking one end to the roof and nailing it down after exposing a few inches of the underside. Then you hold the backing paper and unroll onto the roof. This method works, but I was not able to stretch and smooth the material out. Also, on the top side of the roll along the entire length of both sides is a thin sticky strip. If you step on it or get you hand in it you will stick to it and it will create a long stingy attachment like melted cheese. It will also cause the top side of the roll to stick to itself. After figuring out the method I had a much easier time and would consider using it for a large roof. I will be replacing part of my house roof this fall and I may (with a lot of hesitation) consider using this product. I really do not know what the graphic on the material is for that refers to the RIPCORD. I was expecting some sort of strip down the middle of the length of the roll to split the paper backing. Not so. The paper also does not rip off evenly and at times part of the paper would not release causing a very uneven tear line. The other water & ice shield I had used in the past had the backing plastic split in half the entire length so you could fold the product in half remove half the backing, flip the exposed side down, then flip the other side over to remove the other half and flip that back down. That product was more rigid. This GRACE product is way to flimsy as that is how I initially tried to install it. I'm sure this product will work well for sealing the roof and preventing future leaks. It is very gummy making it difficult (for me at least) to install.

I would recommend this product to add an extra layer of protection against water leaks or water damage to ones roof which will help the building to last longer and protect the things not wanting water or ice damage to which in turns leads to less repairs on the building and can even mean less repairs to the roofing needed. This item is tar like so can be difficult to work with especially in cold weather.

I have used this before, and this stuff is awesome! I am restoring a very old Colonial. Every Winter, the heat of the sun, on the slate shingles, or heat in the attic, will melt the snow. Depending on the temperature, or time of day, the water runs down and creates icicles and ice dams. This super sticky, easy to apply roll, stops the water that builds up behind the dam from getting into the roof/walls. It has been around for years (first review on this site was 2011; with no complaints about longevity). If it was less expensive, I would use it for all my underlayment. My current project is waterproofing roof decking over a stone underground entrance (i.e Bilco). It used to be a covered porch, but the roof over it was beyond repair. Painting the tongue & groove floor boards, was doing a decent job of keeping water out, but the boards would swell and contract and the seams would reopen. Plus, with no flashing, the edging was starting to rot. I wanted a permanent solution. I planned on applying this directly to the boards, but when rolling it out, I realized the boards had cupped, causing an uneven surface. I then went to Home Depot to get 3/4" Pressure Treated Plywood, but their stock was pretty picked over. So, I am waiting for the next delivery. I want to use real copper flashing; which I do not see on HD's website (I guess I will ask the Pro Desk), and then top it with Mahogany tongue & groove; to match my new front porch. Definitely going to be overkill, but I want to be able to walk on it (occasionally) and with the slope being only 1" over 6', I need it as flat and smooth as possible. P.S. I like how the box has hand holds (see pic).

We used this on a shed roof off the garage as a space to sit away from the weather. The product works very well once it’s put down. It is very sticky so it’s good to do in the morning when the surfaces are not as hot, star by peeling the corner and take king to hold in place. I found cutting to length was much easier than trying to handle the whole roll. No leeks!!!!

This Grace Ice and Water Shield 36 inch x 75 foot roll self adhered roofing underlayment comes in a 225 square foot roll and is the best ice and water dam product made today. I have tried a few other brands and none have the sticking power that this product has. The last home I had reroofed we used this not only on the first 3 feet of roof as required by code but on the entire roof to give great protection against storm damage and driving wind and rain. I have also used this when installing windows and sky lights by making 6 inch wide strips to seal the window flange and making it completely water proof. This product is not UV light resistant so it should always be used as underlayment and covered so as to be protected from direct sunlight. The only thing you must be careful of is it's so sticky you should roll it out carefully as you remove the backing paper to reduce air bubbles and once it touched the roof its permanent. It's a great product !

This product was used in a sort of unique way for a school project. A system of channels was constructed from 3/4" plywood, then carefully coated with this ice and water shield to make it watertight. As far as workability, this product can at times be difficult. It sticks really well to itself, not necessarily always to the plywood. What really helps this process is attention to detail when it comes to applying the product, then leaving the plywood in the sun (which on a roof is super easy) to help the membrane bond to the plywood. After working with dozens of rolls of ice and water shield throughout my career, I can safely say Grace makes a great product. The initial tackiness of the membrane is far superior to most other brands, though it can be frustrating at times if you're not used to it. Filling the channel we constructed with water and letting it sit for several weeks proves the product is easily capable of preventing water ingress on a roof. No leaks were noted across the surface area of the membrane, showing this product is some serious stuff. The slippery surface is not ideal for gription, but the quality of the membrane with regards to water-tightness is far superior to other products.

Applying bitchathane can be challenging. Follow the directions. I learned to roll out the inevitable air bubbles. But, I have not found another product like it, high tack adhesive that adheres to everything, self sealing membrane, wears well, and I left one patch uncovered for years without UV degradation, still intact, still adhered.

Metal roofer using this stuff for a while. Get help when putting this stuff over 80 degrees as it will stick. When used on a place where underlayment that forms to the structure needs to be used, works great. A bit pricy but good stuff

I used this product as the first line of deck defense. After hurricane María in Puerto Rico I did a complete roof removal for my parents house, works fantastic. Going back soon for terraces roof replacement.

This is a good product and I would have rated it higher except for the fact that when I installed it the "RIP CORD" feature that is suppose to help slit the paper backing in half to make easier to install actually RIPPED a hole though the entire product while I was laying it down in the valley of my roof. The "RIP CORD" was embedded so deep into the rubber in some parts it just split right through the rubber instead of just the paper. This was very annoying since I was trying to protect the roof valleys and it splits a hole right in the valley, not to mention the premium price you are paying to install it. This was my first run so I learned from it and never used the "RIP CORD" feature again and didn't have any problems with the other valleys. I will use the product again and I do recommend it....... JUST DON'T USE THE RIP CORD......IT SUCKS!!! and it will "RIP" a hole in your expensive underlayment!

I have bee using this for as long as I can remember, it may cost a bit more that other brands, but your home is worth the extra! Shed style roofs, just do the whole thing, other roofs I use 6ft eve