If you’re considering a new roof and looking for an appointment with a roof replacement company serving Brick, NJ, and the surrounding area, you might be wondering just how far into the winter season can you wait. A month? Two months? How long does the roofing season last? Or should you just wait until winter is over?
Ideally, homeowners should address issues with their roofs before winter. Replacing your roof in the wintertime is undoubtedly possible – sometimes emergencies arise, and it’s necessary to quickly replace a roof; however, multiple factors make getting a new roof in the winter a less than ideal proposition.
The Weather Can Affect Morale
It’s easy to assume that the most experienced team will perform their best no matter what conditions they’re subjected to on the job. Still, the reality is that the weather can have a severe impact on overall morale. When even the most experienced roofer gets too cold, they get more interested in getting warm than how well the roofing material gets installed. Being cold can lead to installation mistakes or rushed work.
Most roofing contractors will shoot for performing installs in the winter when temperatures are around 40 degrees, as per manufacturer recommendations. While contractors can finish winter jobs happening in temperatures below 40, teams need to take additional steps to ensure the safety of the installation team. For example, walking on roofs with frost can lead to severe accidents. Due to this, contractors will be more selective on the installations they do, which can lead to a backlog of jobs that need to get done. This coupled with reduced daylight hours and installations can really slow down.
The Sealant Might Not Activate Until Spring
Despite it being cold while my roof installation was completed, I should still be fine, right?
Sadly, not quite. Shingles come with an adhesive strip that binds to the shingle underneath it to help keep them from blowing off during strong winds, but the adhesive is activated by heat from the sun, which is hard to get if the temperatures are consistently in the thirties or lower. To install shingles properly in cold climates, each shingle along the eaves and rakes should be hand sealed to help ensure a strong bond until the sealant can achieve thermal adhesion on its own.
Shingles Are Tougher to Work With
Shingles are designed to stand up to all kinds of punishment that nature can throw at it, but cutting them in frigid temps becomes difficult. In cold temperatures, shingles become extremely rigid making them difficult to cut and less likely to sit flat on the roof deck. Additionally, the shingles will be more likely to break during the cold as the lack of warmth reduces its elasticity.
From ambient temperature, difficulty cutting the shingles, and unpredictable weather make winter roof installations a challenge. To find out more about why you should be selective about who is installing your roof in the winter or to get a quote for a new roof in East Windsor, NJ, call Elegant Exteriors, LLC today!
