Roofs across the globe are affected in a number of ways by the climate they are in. Whether someone finds himself living in south Texas or upper Alaska, the climate will have drastic effects on his roof. Whether a person finds himself living in Florida or Kentucky, the same will apply.
It is with this in mind that it will be important for you to know how your particular climate will affect your roof. Weather patterns such as extreme cold, which is often accompanied by heavy snow or freezing rain, will decrease the life of a roof.
On the other hand, extreme heat that is often accompanied by humidity is another area of consideration. In addition, high winds that plague places throughout the world despite the high or low temperatures is another contributing factor in the life and condition of your roof.
Extreme cold
• For many places in the world, extremely cold temperatures are a force to be reckoned with. As a cold night sets in, it will cause a material such as asphalt shingles to contract. This contracting of shingles will then lead to their cracking overtime. The shingles will end up becoming more brittle than they will be pliable.
• As cold weather arrives in various parts of the world, so do snow and freezing rain. Water is a destructive element, and as snow and freezing rain continue to bear down on a roof, overtime, this will cause damage to your roof.
This will most likely be a slow process. However, for those of you who live in an area where you see snow and freezing rain frequently, you can expect for these elements, along with the cold weather itself, to decrease the life of your roof.
Extreme heat
• For many of the homes that are found in parts of the world that are under the constant heat of the sun, the roofs will suffer as a result. This is why you will often see metal roofs or tile roofs down south.
The sun naturally destroys. The UV rays will, over time, wear out just about anything that they touch. This is true in the case of all roofing material, no matter how good the material is. While some material may still last for 50 to 100 years, the sun will always win the battle in the end.
Sun will cause the oils within the roofing material to dry out, and this will eventually lead to cracking as well. Untreated asphalt shingles are at high risk, as the sun’s heat can cause this material to experience buckling and cracking.
• As the heat sets in, so often it is accompanied by humidity. This is especially true in some of the southern states (although not reserved to them). As humidity sets in, unwanted plant life begins to thrive.
A drive down the road will often reveal that some homes have a green, grassy substance that appears to be growing on the roof. This is often algae or another weed-like plant. These plants feed off of the humidity in the air and will continue to thrive on your roof unless taken care of.
A metal roof naturally repels this type of growth, but this type of roof will come at a greater cost to you. If you are living in an area where you cannot seem to fight off the growth, a metal roof may be an excellent investment.
Heavy winds
• Heavy winds will plague areas that are both hot and cold. Heavy winds are a leading destroyer of roofs. It will be important that your roof is applied correctly to avoid wind damage that can occur from severe storms.
One of the simple ways of doing this is by applying more fasteners to your roof when applying your roofing material. It may also be wise to ask your roofing contractor what measures he takes in his application of your roofing material in order to protect against high winds.
Some companies, such as Owen Corning (a leader in the industry), may only back their product with a guarantee when using six nails as opposed to four for protection against high winds.
Conclusion
Whether you are living in an area that commonly experiences extreme heat or living under extremely cold conditions, your roof will experience the consequences. Nevertheless, knowing this can better help you to prepare for your future as a replacement or repair may come sooner than you had expected.