Roofs degrade over time because there are many factors that can affect a roof such as rain and wind. However, heat by itself can also cause your roof to degrade over time. It's important to know how heat might affect your roof when having a new roof installed or when trying to determine if your roof needs new repairs.
Direct Exposure to Sunlight Damages Shingles
Direct exposure to sunlight and hot weather can cause shingles to start to buckle and peel back. You may begin to notice your roof balding. You do not want the wood underneath your shingles to become exposed because your roof is more likely to rot when exposed to rain.
Your Roof Might Warp and Crack
The constant heat that the wood rafters, joists, and support beams are constantly subjected to will cause them to warp and crack. Hot and humid climates also create the conditions for mold growth and the mold will eat away at your roof and will also potentially make your family sick due to the impact that mold has on the respiratory system.
Don't Let Heat Ruin Your Roof
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your roof from the heat. For one, you'll need to make sure that the materials you select are ideal for the climate of your home.
How to Cool Off Your Roof
If your roof is designed so that it has adequate ventilation, this will help prevent your roof from becoming too hot. Painting your roof a lighter color such as white or silver will make it more reflective and your roof will not absorb as much sunlight as a result.
Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is another important part of making sure that your roof doesn't become damaged. When you know that your roof is going to be subject to a heat wave, it might make sense to schedule an appointment with professional roofers. If a roofer is able to catch a problem early on, they'll be able to prevent more serious problems down the line.
You might be able to notice the damage from the ground, or it might be necessary to get up on your roof. Doing so can be very dangerous and it's better to hire professional roofers. Not only is a professional roofer trained on safety techniques that can keep the roofer safe but many roofers today rely on drones so they can avoid getting up on a roof in the first place.
For more information, contact a residential roofing contractor near you.
Once you watched someone put a roof on a home, you have a much deeper understanding of what's involved in this sort of work. Roofing is not easy. There's a big mental component since the roofers need to decide how how many shingles to use, how to best lay them out, and so forth. Then, there's the physical aspect of roofing. Lugging packages of shingles onto the roof is not easy, and nailing them down take a lot of work, too. With that in mind, we welcome you to read more about roofing on this blog. Let the articles inform your opinion of the profession.