How Does Heat Affect Your Roof Project?
Most exterior home projects need the right kind of conditions for optimal success. But roofing is more vulnerable to the elements than most projects. In particular, heat affects roofing projects in a variety of ways. What do you need to know about heat and your roofing project? Here are answers to your important questions.
What Is Too Hot for Roof Work?
Most homeowners would be surprised to know how low the thermometer should be for an ideal roofing day. The temperature on a dark, conventional roof can reach 150 degrees on a sunny summer day, even when the ambient air temperature isn't nearly so hot. All this means that a day that's only reasonably uncomfortable on the ground could easily be too hot for workers and materials up above.
How Does Heat Affect Workers?
Extreme rooftop heat is certainly a risk for those working on the roof. Because they bear the brunt of both direct sunlight and reflected light from the roof, they can become overheated, dehydrated, and suffer the effects of heatstroke.
Crews take precautions to avoid heat-related health and wellness problems, including wearing customized protective gear and taking frequent breaks during the hottest periods. However, each crew must also judge the heat and safety issues for themselves, so they may use their experience to gauge whether work should continue during hot periods or on specific roofs.
How Does Heat Affect Materials?
Humans working on the roof aren't the only ones at risk from the heat. The roofing materials themselves can have problems. While asphalt shingles are designed to resist extreme heat after installation, for instance, they are susceptible while awaiting installation. Heat can make these and other roofing materials softer and cause them to stick together, reducing effectiveness.
How Does Humidity Affect Roof Work?
In many areas, the heat of summer comes along with high humidity. This combination makes roofing more complicated, as the extra moisture in the air can amplify the dangerous health risks of hot roof work. So, even if the temperature might not be too hot to stop work just on its own accord, it could be too high when combined with a high humidity level.
Where Can You Learn More?
Clearly, a range of factors involving heat and its accompanying weather can impact your roofing job. Want to know more about how it changes things in your particular climate or with your particular roof? Start by meeting with an experienced roofing contractor in your region today.
