Over the years, the Carolinas have experienced a number of heat waves lingering for days to weeks on end. Back in 2012, Columbia, South Carolina, broke a few records with temperatures reaching 113 degrees, the hottest two-day stretch in the city’s history. Thankfully, this summer, temperatures haven’t reached quite that high, but it’s still been full of heat waves and heat advisories, with temperatures in the mid to high 90s and a heat index of over 100 degrees.
In this heat, we’ve made sure to protect ourselves by limiting our time outdoors and wearing proper sun protection, but what about the sun’s effects on your roof? Let’s talk about some of the main ways your roof may be affected by this blistering heat and what this means for its lifespan.
Blistering
Blistering typically occurs in asphalt shingles, one of the most popular residential roofing materials due to their ease of installation and cost. It happens when a blister bubbles in the shingles, and when the blister pops, it can look very similar to hail damage. One of the main causes of blistering in asphalt shingles is poor ventilation and overheating from hot summer days.
Poor Ventilation
If your attic doesn’t provide proper ventilation and allow heat to escape, it can lead to the roof decking overheating. At the same time, the shingles on your roof absorb the heat from the sun but have nowhere to release the heat due to the overheating of the roof decking. Because of this, the shingles reach a temperature where the asphalt starts to release a small amount of gas, forming a blister as the gas gets trapped inside the shingles. These blisters will then pop, causing damage to your roof.
Cracking & Discoloration
We often hear about UV light affecting your eyes or skin, but what about your roof? With the summer heat comes harsh ultraviolet rays that can damage your roof. Even on overcast days, when clouds are in the sky, the UV rays can penetrate the roof and impact its lifespan.
These UV rays can accelerate the decay of different materials on your roof. Wood can crack and bleach, shingles can peel, and many of the protective oils on different roofing materials, such as asphalt shingles, can dry out, making them weak and brittle. As they dry out, they’re also more prone to cracking and damage.
Thermal Shock
While we’ve mainly talked about the impact of the sun and heat on residential roofs, commercial roofs aren’t safe from the summer rays either. Flat roofing, the roofs most commonly found on commercial buildings, is most affected by thermal shock. Thermal shock happens when heat expands the roof during the day, and then when temperatures cool down at night, the roof contracts. The hotter the daytime temperature, the bigger the chance for swelling and cracking. There are a few signs to look out for if your roof is experiencing thermal shock, such as cracking and leaking.
Cracking
The older your roof, the more susceptible it is to crack or break as the materials age and deteriorate over time. This is due to the expansion caused by direct sunlight and heat on the roof. If not spotted quickly, cracks in the roof can lead to much more serious issues and even an entire roof replacement rather than simple repairs. That’s why it’s important to get your roof regularly inspected to avoid this from happening. At Allcon Roofing, we offer regular roof inspections to catch these problems before they get worse and save you money in the long run.
Leaking
Beyond just the surface of the roof being affected by the sun and heat, fastenings can contract and expand from the thermal shock, causing gaps in the roof. Flash storms in the summertime can also be a problem when the rain causes sudden cooling of a hot roof, leading to more gaps and the potential for leaking.
Blistering, cracking and discoloration, and thermal shock are just some of the ways the hot summer sun can affect your roof. The best thing to do is to get regular roof inspections or get your roof made in a material that is more resistant to the effects of the sun, like metal roofs. While the sun can still affect them, you can apply different metal roof coatings with UV-resistant properties to your metal roof, protecting it from ultraviolet rays.
At the end of the day, the main takeaway should be to look for signs of damage on your roof. Spotting damage early on will allow you to simply repair your roof rather than having more serious damage, causing you to replace the entire roof. Consider getting an inspection at the end of the summer, once the weather starts to cool down, to spot the signs early. Allcon Roofing can provide solutions for dealing with damage caused by the summer heat and offer regular roof inspections to remove the risk of replacing your entire roof. Stay cool out there, and be sure to protect yourself and your roof from the summer sun!