How to get your roofing done this cold season

Many homeowners get skeptical about doing exterior work during the winter months. After all, the cold season does bring challenges and obstacles that can be a nightmare for even the most experienced of roofers. Should you then postpone the thought of repairing or installing your roof to the warmer months? Not exactly. Here’s a blog that will tell you what a roofing contractor needs to watch for when initiating your roofing project, and ways to overcome these problems.

Warm up those shingles

The cold winter temperatures can cause issues in shingle installation which don’t happen during the comparatively warmer seasons. The freezing cold can make the shingles brittle and susceptible to breakage and cracks, on even the slightest application of pressure.

How to overcome this:

If you’re living in a particularly cold region, the ‘roofing company near me’ that you hire will need to warm the shingles up before installation.

Ensure safety precautions

With snow and ice constantly collecting on the roof, there is always the risk of an accidental slip or fall. This is one of the main reasons why a lot of roof contractors in Ardmore are hesitant about taking up winter roofing jobs.

How to overcome this:

Your roofing contractor will need to have safety precautions and equipment in place to prevent physical harm to workers and damage to your property. 

Make adjustments in installation

Freezing temperatures also affect the performance of installation tools like pneumatic nail guns. Excessively low temperatures can cause water to freeze in the air lines of the nail gun or cause the lubrication to thicken which in turn, will affect the firing of the pneumatic tool.

How to overcome this:

Talk to roof contractors in Ardmore to check whether they make adjustments pertaining to the depth and distancing of nails, when installing shingles. Storing pneumatic tools in recommended temperature conditions will also ensure proper performance and lower chances of equipment damage.

Take steps to ensure better sealing

Most shingles need the temperature to be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the sealant strips to work effectively. In winter, the adhesive in the sealant strips won’t activate as soon as it would in say spring or summer. As a result, the shingles won’t attach to the roof or stick to each other as firmly as they should.

How to overcome this:

Contractors can hand-seal shingles by using asphalt cement. The cement will make the shingles bond with one another until the time the sealant gets warm and activated. Winter can make it inconvenient but definitely not impossible for you to carry out roofing repairs of installation. The precautionary steps outlined above will help your roofer overcome the usual winter challenges. If you’re looking for a roofing company that can help you with repairs or installation, call us at 610 995 6309. We’re Hynes Roofing & Siding and we’re among the small percentage of national contractors who’ve earned the GAF Master Elite Roofing Contractor designation. Reach out to us for your roofing needs through this winter and our contractors will overcome hail and snow to deliver a high-quality roofing solution.