Some roofing problems can’t wait for warm weather to arrive. If your roof reaches the end of its lifespan during the cold season, you may be hesitant to replace it until temperatures rise and the skies are clear. However, despite what you might have heard, winter roof replacements are more than possible. If yours is done correctly, it may even be better for your Morgantown, IN home. Read on to find out why and to learn what you can expect when scheduling this project.
Discover the Benefits of Hand-Sealed Roof Shingles
Most homes in the United States have asphalt shingle roofs. Asphalt shingles are affordable, long-lasting, and flexible enough to accommodate a broad range of aesthetic preferences. These shingles have an adhesive backing that creates a durable seal when sufficiently warm and when the right amount of pressure is applied. Unfortunately, in winter, this adhesive is tacky at best. Lacking adequate warmth, asphalt shingles won’t adhere unless alternative measures are taken.
To ensure optimum adhesion, our roofers hand-seal each shingle during winter roof installations. The extra time and attention to detail that this requires allows for a superior roofing system overall. By having your roof installed in winter, you’ll get the benefit of a truly watertight and long-lasting product. You’ll also have a far lower likelihood of having shingles fall off, curl, or bend over time.
Additional Safety Equipment Is Essential
Mounting a roof and working on it is never completely risk-free. Although most seasoned professionals use fall protection gear for all roofing projects, you can expect to see additional equipment during the winter months. By taking every possible precaution against falls and personal injuries, we’re able to sidestep frustrating project delays and keep our team and our clients’ properties safe.
Different Tools are Required
Along with enhanced fall protection gear, your roofers will likely use special tools for your cold-weather project. In addition to reducing the effectiveness of the adhesive backing on shingles, frosty temperatures also make asphalt shingles less flexible. Using utility knives to cut cold shingles while they’re rigid and brittle could cause them to crack, bend, or snap. To prevent this, we use snips to create clean, precise cuts and to preserve the integrity of project materials.
Work Might Start a Little Later in the Day Than Normal
During the summer months, homeowners can expect their roofing crews to arrive first thing in the morning and pack their tools up in the early evening or late afternoon. Early workdays make sense when the weather is warm and when every surface provides sure footing. However, in winter, during the colder portions of the day, your roof could be covered in thick sheets of ice or other frozen precipitation. Letting the sun and the mercury rise before getting started minimizes the risk of trip and fall and slip and fall accidents. It allows roofers to traverse these surfaces confidently and work at an acceptable pace.
Between using extra fall protection gear and setting later start times, roofers typically take a bit longer to complete winter replacement projects. Given that they’ll be hand-sealing your shingles rather than relying on their heat and pressure-activated sealants, you can expect what’s normally a two-day process to take between three and five days instead. It’s also important to note that if extreme weather events occur in the middle of these efforts, your roofers will tarp their work-in-progress and finish the job as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Enjoy Less Demand, Easier Scheduling, and Greater Peace of Mind
Few homeowners are hard-pressed to complete their roof replacements during winter. Unless these projects are essential, many consumers put them off until spring comes rolling in. If your roof can’t make it through another cold season, scheduling a winter roof replacement should be easy. There’s far less demand during this time of the year and there are often impressive discounts available. Best of all, when the work is done, you won’t have to worry about problems like blistered paint, discolored ceilings, damaged drywall, or other interior moisture damage. Winter can do its worst and your home will be duly protected.
We help residents of Morgantown, IN protect their homes with quality roofing. We offer residential roof repair, replacement, and maintenance services. We also provide roof inspections, exterior painting, and commercial storm damage repairs. To find out more or schedule an appointment, get in touch with Taylor Made Roofing & Construction, Inc. today.
