While homeowners consider a lot of things in their houses as the seasons change, roofing is not usually among the top priorities.
However, as you sit under your roof and watch the temperatures change from extreme winter cold to extreme summer heat, you might also suffer roof wear and tear from weather changes. But how exactly does the weather cause wear and tear to your roof?
How Hot Weather Can Affect Your Roof
UV exposure
Unfortunately, there is no way for you to protect your roof from the long days of being exposed to the hot summer days.
After being exposed to the UV sun rays for a long time, your roof starts to dry out, causing wood structures around the roof to bleach and become weak and may even break, as well as shrinkage. For the tile roofs, the tiles might start to buckle or split.
As shrinkage occurs, the joints between the tiles can also loosen.
Thermal shock
This is one of the greatest effects of heat on your roof. It happens when the day temperatures are higher than average but rapidly drop after sunset.
That extreme temperature and moisture change in the atmosphere over a short period may cause your roof, especially if it is made of metal, to expand and contract rapidly, greatly affecting the integrity of the roof. That can sometimes lead to warping.
Blistering
Heat makes a lot of things expand, including water. After being exposed to the sun for long periods, your roof absorbs a lot of heat. If there was any water trapped beneath your roof’s surface, it expands and evaporates.
That pushes the surface of your roof up, causing what looks like blisters to appear on the roof surface.
Growth
If your roof has some gaps under or between the tiles, water might have collected in the gaps over time. After being exposed to the sun, there will be a lot of warmth in those moist cracks, which will create a conducive environment for the growth of moss and mold.
If left unattended, the moss and mold could spread all through your roof and may even cause it to rot and fall off.
How Cold Weather Can Affect Your Roof
Water damage
Frozen water could cause serious damages to your roof, especially if it freezes up in your gutters, preventing water from properly draining. More water damage could happen if you live in an area that receives high rainfall.
The excess rainwater could find its way under the roof shingles and tiles or may slip through some unnoticed cracks. That will not only damage the roof but the wooden structure around and beneath it.
Snow damage
Snow, though uncommon in this area, may look good on the ground, but it is a bad thing for your roof, especially if it is a flat one or builds up in a way that can’t fall off the roof easily.
Thanks to the heat coming from your home, the snow can melt fairly quickly, but if you are in a location that snows a lot, you face the danger of the snow sipping under the roof tiles or shingles.
That may not only damage the roof, but also it might become too heavy for your roof to handle, and it may collapse.
Wind damage
Cold weather is associated with winds, and sometimes they may become so strong that they blow off part or all of your roof. This is most common if your roof has suffered snow or ice damage, making it weak.
Icicles and ice dams
This is one of the worst roof damages caused by cold weather, mainly attributed to poor ventilation or insulation around your home. As with snow, it is uncommon in this area, but can be a definite problem as homeowners in the south normally don’t prepare for such circumstances.
When the ice and snow on your roof melts, it may start flowing, and when it comes to a cooler part of the roof, it may collect and form a large ice mass which may prevent water from flowing off the roof. That may result in massive roof damage and leaks.
If you experience roof wear and tear from weather conditions, it is best to contact a roofing contractor to have a look and repair your roof, which is why Southpaw Roofing is here for you.
Southpaw Roofing has the most experienced workers and the highest quality of roofing materials to ensure that you do not have to worry about leaks during the summer or winter.
To book an appointment or make any inquiries, you can visit our website or give us a call Monday to Friday 8:30 am- 4:30 pm at (706) 860-6650 in Augusta GA, or (843) 998-0211 in Charleston SC.
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