The shingles on your roof get damaged through heavy rain, heat waves, and snowstorms from the start of winter through the end of summer and even into early Fall. This leaves a small window of opportunity for you to undergo roof repair or replacements in ideal conditions. Avoid having your roof replaced in the winter. Temperatures below 40 degrees and the chance of snow makes it difficult for your roof to seal properly. If you need to replace or repair your roof, don’t wait for winter or spring. Depending on the age and condition of your roof, snow and ice build-up may accumulate enough to seriously damage or even collapse your roof.
Avoid Replacing Your Roof in Winter
Winter storms cause snow and ice to build up on your roof. When the snow and ice melt, any holes or leaks in your roof will be exposed and made worse. If snow melts during the day and freezes over night, the holes letting water into your home can grow larger, causing more damage.
One step in roof repair and replacement that is challenged by cold temperatures is thermal sealing. Thermal sealing is the process of asphalt shingles seal strips adhering through ambient warmth, and optimally occurs in temperatures around 40 degrees. This can still occur in cooler temperatures, but it may take longer to complete this step.
Another downside to waiting for winter to replace shingles is that shingles tend to become fragile in cold temperatures. If it gets to be below 26 degrees outside, most shingle manufacturers will recommend hand nailing instead of using a nail gun. This is a much slower process, but if you use a nail gun during extreme cold, you may damage or break the shingles.
Weather Can Create Challenges for Spring and Summer Roofing Replacements
All the reasons to avoid replacing your roof in the winter hold true for the summer and spring, the most important reason being an increase in storms. During the summer, hurricanes and high winds will make it hard to safely work on your roof, and during the spring, large volumes of rain and unpredictable temperatures make the installation and sealing of shingles difficult.
Fall is the ideal Time to Replace Your Roof
Fall is a great time for roof repair and replacement because of moderate temperatures and fewer severe storms. Replacing your roof in the fall also allows your to take care of any damage before the snow and ice of winter arrive.
The National Association of Home Builders/Bank of America Home Equity: Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components found that slate, copper and tile roofs can last more than 50 years, wooden shingles can last about 30 years, fiber shingles can last about 25 years and asphalt shingles can last about 20 years. It is always smart to have your roof inspected after a large storm such as a hurricane, or hail storm, but we don’t recommend you take matters into your own hands. Instead of walking up on your roof, you can contact us and schedule a time for an inspection.
If you notice a leak, shingles that are starting to curl, missing granules on the shingle, moss growing on shingles, or if your shingles are between 18-20 years old, then it could be time to replace your roof or schedule a time for roof repair. If you notice any of these signs, contact us for a free roofing replacement estimate.
