How does summer heat affect your roof?

As July begins to come to a close and August comes into the picture, the summer heat that we all looked forward to all winter might become somewhat of a problem. While we all know how the winter can affect your roof in a negative way, the summer months have negative effects on your roof as well. Here are a some of the major problems that can your roof might face in this summer heat:

• UV Rays - Otherwise known as ultraviolet rays. All summer long your roof is constantly exposed to these ultraviolet rays and it is even exposed on cloudy days as well. UV Rays dry out the oils your roofing materials are made of, causing the wood in your roof to become bleached, weakening the structure of the roof.

• Heat - Your roof is exposed to the harshest of the suns heat during the summer. Roofs that are not shaded by trees can reach up to a staggering 160 degrees when the actual air temperature could be as low as 90 degrees (which is an extremely common summer temperature here in Nebraska). This expedites the problems that arise from UV rays and other problems. If your attic is not properly ventilated, heat will build up in it causing the temperature to rise in your home.

• Thermal Shock - With the heating up of the atmosphere during the day and rapid cool down overnight, this can cause the materials on your roof to expand and contract fairly quickly, which weakens the integrity of the roof over time. The metal materials in your roof face most of the thermal shock, the metal roofing materials can warp in the heat and lead to gaps appearing in metal elements on your roof. So, if your home has metal shingles, this might be an issue that affects your roofing more than the average home. 

If you have a roof which has seen better days, or is struggling in this summer heat,

call us for a complimentary inspection at 402-281-2891.