Improvement 4.0 - Secondary Water Resistance (SWR)

A secondary water resistance (SWR) is an underlayment material positioned on the roof deck to prevent water intrusion.

This improvement can be completed in a few ways:

1. At the time of reroofing, use a full-coverage self-adhered underlayment, commonly referred as peel-and-stick, directly to the roof deck material. 
2. At time of reroofing, use a self-adhere product commonly referred to as seam tape on all joints and seams of the roof decking material. This still requires a nailed down underlayment such as felt paper; or
3. If not replacing the roof, install a foam adhesive on all the seams and joints from the attic side of roof.

If the contractor must remove the roof covering to perform any recommended improvements, the costs of the roof covering replacement can be included in the total project cost. The covering material can be the homeowner’s choice such as tile, metal, or shingle so long as all portions of the contiguous roof are replaced with SWR to be eligible for reimbursement. Grant funding cannot be used for roof patching or other partial repairs.

Applicants approved for a grant before July 1, 2024, can still receive grant funding for installing Secondary Water Barrier (SWB) instead of Secondary Water Resistance (SWR).

The following are examples of SWB and not eligible for funding for grants approved after July 1, 2024: 

• hot mop
• tar
• felt
• peel-and-stick applied over any other kind of underlayment
• any underlayment (synthetic or otherwise) that is not self-adhering