How Weather Effects Your Roof

Living in the South, we don’t experience a plunge of below zero temperatures very often. We definitely aren’t prepared when we have snow and ice, as well as 60 degree highs all in the same week. Our buildings share our aggravation and aren’t used to that roller coaster of temperatures. This thermal shock may be causing some damage in response.

This weather can wreck havoc on your commercial roof as well. Warm temperatures cause a building (including your roof) to expand, while cold temperatures will cause it to contract. With more extreme change in temperature, the more extreme the expanding and contracting. This can happen in the winter or in the middle of our hot summers. No matter the time of year, it isn’t good for your roof.

Here are examples of damage Sentry Roof Services is seeing caused by the polar vortex:

• Older commercial roof systems and poor roof insulation can split or crack as cold temperatures heat up causing major leaking.
• Roofs that had a tiny hole before the thermal shock may now be a major problem as it cracks to create larger hole.
• With modified bitumen roofs, the roofing material can begin to bubble up creating blisters that without maintenance will be a problem in the near future.
• Flashing on EPDM roofing systems can shrink and pull away from the structure creating an open area for leaks to occur.
• Metal roof fasteners are popping up causing small leaks to appear. These small leaks can become more intense and more frequent if left unattended.
• Skylights can also be a problem if it cracks with the temperature change. A small hole or crack in a skylight can “spider” just like a windshield on a vehicle.

Since your commercial roof is a big investment, you want to keep it in the best shape possible. A regular maintenance service program is the best way to minimize emergency roof leaks, cracks, or major damage. Maintenance on a commercial roof can prolong the life of the roof, keep costs down, reduce the likelihood of expensive emergency repairs, and minimizes your vulnerability. This type of maintenance will help in all seasons and weather.

Keeping your investment in top shape is our business. Sentry Roof Services has been busy working to repair these damages for our customers, as well as prepare roof replacements for the commercial roofs with major damage. We are available for repair evaluations, roof replacement estimates, or to create a maintenance service plan for any commercial roof type.