Is It Safe To Re-Roof A Home In The Winter
There are many concerns on whether its safe to re-roof during the winter months. There are many factors that come into play which determine if a home or business owner should wait until Summer to re-roof or go ahead and re-roof during winter. It is important to understand however that the answer is yes, you can safely re-roof during the winter.
Asphalt Shingles Are Durable And Made To Withstand Cold Weather
Its important to note that asphalt roofing shingles are designed to withstand cold and hot weather. There are some shingles that are designed specifically to waterproof homes in regions like Alaska where the temperature can easily reach 20 below 0 degrees. Many contractors like to avoid re-roofing when its to hot so a dry winter week might be favorable in more than one way.
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GAF offers these winter roof protection tips on KHQ-TV
The biggest concern many have about winter re-roofs is improper sealing. There is a strip on the back of each shingle that heats up when warmed by the sun to cause the shingle to seal to one below it. This prevents wind blow off. If the shingle does not reach adequate temperature then they will not seal properly. What many people do not consider however is that a roof is on average 20 degrees warmer on the roof. If its 50 degrees outside it can be 70 degrees on the roof. In addition all of the warm air from your home is blowing up into the attic and warming the underside of the shingles as well which aides the sealant with proper adhesion.
If its just to cold out and an ideal temperature cannot be reached to get the sealant to warm up and adhere hand tabbing is suggested. Roofing cement is an asphalt based products that can be purchased in a caulking tube. By distributing a few quarter size dabs on the corners of the shingles you can easily achieve the necessary seal and wind resistance requirements until the temperatures warm up to seal the shingles.
Whats Best For Your Home?
In order to determine if a winter re-roof is necessary you should contact a professional roofer in your region. A few factors that would warrant immediate re-roof are: Extreme leaking, massive shingle blow off, a compromised roof structure that cant take the weight of compiling snow just to name a few.
If you are in the Puget Sound region of the Pacific Northwest and are considering a winter re-roof call us today for an expert opinion at (253) 544-3651.
