This article is about roof temperature in summer. Did you know that your roof might come under specific pressure during the summer? Most of this is because of the heat, and this can cause a number of problems.

There can be a few other issues in summer as well. So if you want to know a bit more about roof temperatures in summer, like what your roof can sustain and how to make sure your roof is always in the right condition, then you’ve found the right article.

In it we’re going to look at a number of issues that could arise during those warmer months along with how to prevent them. We’ll also look at a few different ways to keep your roof protected during the summer, as well as how to keep your home cool even when the temperatures outside are at their hottest.

Roof Temperature in Summer – How can high temperatures affect your roof?

You might already know how many issues winter weather can cause for your roof. Especially ice and heavy snow. That’s why many homeowners have new roofs fitted or require extensive repairs because of winter weather.

Other weather conditions like heavy rain and wind which aren’t unique to the winter can also cause problems but so can the heat. You might think your roof is strong enough to withstand high temperatures, but it isn’t always. So let’s have a look at how heat can affect your roof:

Violent storms are one of the biggest problems roofs can face during the summer, but they aren’t the only problem. Heat is an issue too. We’ll look at violent storms in a bit more detail in a minute. But how can general warm weather be a problem for your roof? Firstly, UV rays can actually cause damage. This can happen even when it’s cloudy, but especially when it’s not.

These rays can make the oils and materials in your roof dry out and ultimately crack. This can lead to costly repairs being needed. Wood can get bleached by the sun and also weaken and crack. Asphalt shingles are also prone to buckle and split under high heat, especially if they haven’t been treated.

All of these reasons mean that a prolonged spell of hot weather could have a number of adverse consequences for a range of different types of roofs, including yours.

Unshaded roofs are at particular risk. A roof without shade might get up to 160 degrees F when the outside air temperature is only 90 degrees. This actually speeds up the effects we looked at in the last paragraph.

An unventilated attic can also exacerbate the problem and make damage more likely. This can also cause problems with condensation.

There’s another issue with your roof that could be a problem when it’s really hot. That’s called thermal shock. This is when high temperatures during the daytime and cold nights cause roof materials to expand and contract too quickly.

While all roofs are built to expand and contract a certain amount, extreme heat during the day and cooler nights can make this expansion and contraction happen too quickly for the roof to be able to cope.

This can result in a weakening of the roof’s structural integrity. Metal roofs suffer from this even more and can become warped or gaps can appear. This is also especially problematic if you have metal elements in an otherwise non-metal roof.

However, before you worry too much there are a couple of things to remember. Heat damage to your roof is normally cumulative which means it builds up over time. Unlike one night of heavy wind, a couple of days of high heat shouldn’t be enough to cause much damage to your roof.

This could actually take years, which means you might spot the problem and be able to make changes before it’s too late. Most good quality roofs won’t start to crumble from heat damage for at least the first ten years.

If you’ve got an older roof or aren’t sure how old your roof is, make sure you lookout for some of the signs of heat damage so that you can make fixes rather than leave it to the point where costly repairs or replacements are needed.

Don’t forget year-round weather conditions

There’s another thing to remember when looking at how the weather can affect your roof. Just because it’s summer, that doesn’t mean some year-round weather conditions aren’t a problem. Heavy rainstorms can still occur during the summer months, especially if there are thunderstorms or you live in unpredictable weather areas. So while most of this article is about how heat and sun can affect your roof, you might not be clear from heavy rain and wind either.

Some parts of the world will also suffer extreme winds during the summer months, especially if you live in hurricane areas. This article won’t go into too much detail about extreme weather conditions like hurricane season, but it goes without saying that you need to consult a professional and make sure your roof is strong enough if a hurricane or other extreme storm looks likely.

How can your roof benefit from high heat?

While most of this article is about the damage high temperatures and sunshine can do to your roof, it’s not all bad. There are some tweaks you can make to your roofing provisions so that you and your home can actually benefit.

The most obvious one of these is by applying solar panels. Not only can solar paneling act as a block so that harmful rays don’t get through to parts of your actual roof, but you’ll actually be using that energy to provide power to your home.

This can save you loads on bills and might even generate you enough to start selling energy back to the grid, making a profit in the process. So if you live somewhere that has a lot of heat during the summer, you might want to consider solar panels.

Hopefully, you now know a bit more about how heat affects your roof, and what you can do about it.