How Weather Can Impact Your Commercial Roofing?

While most regions have similar weather changes every year, weather is not always predictable. Weather can also wear down your roofing over time. Some weather conditions cause serious damage to roofing, so it is important to understand how the weather can affect your commercial roofing. Severe weather, be it extreme hot or cold causes damage and over time, so can mild weather conditions.

The better you understand the elements, especially as the global climate continues to change, the better you can prepare and maintain your roof, to enhance its longevity. The weather conditions that affect your commercial roof are sun, rain, wind, and depending on where you live, snow and hail.

Sun

Source: riverrunroofing.com

A great number of people do not realize just how damaging the sun can be. People prepare for rain damage but not the sun. Every roof will be exposed to the sun’s UV rays at some time or another and over exposure weakens roofing materials, causing cracks and shrinkage. There are sun-resistant options available today, but even with time, these can be damaged by extreme sun exposure. Proper maintenance and preventative care is the best way to prolong the life of your roof, but eventually sun damage will require roof replacement.

Rain

Source: spectrumnews1.com

Rain can occur anytime and anywhere, even in traditionally dry climates. Not many people realize the danger, even light rain can cause the roof. Small leaks can get bigger with time and with each rain, the damage gets worse. Heavy rainfall will naturally gravitate to weakened areas on the roof, forming pools which lead to moisture damage in the roof structure and inside the building. The best way to avoid serious leaks, is to perform regular inspections of your commercial roof to find and repair any small damage right away.

Wind

Source: blog.otthydromet.com

Strong winds can seriously damage roofing, loosening materials and even tearing materials away. It can also cause other items such as tree branches to be slammed against the roof causing cracks and tears. Inspecting your roof after any heavy winds is ideal, so you can identify any damage early. Replace and repair any problems right away to prevent more serious damage occurring the next time the winds pick up.

Snow

Source: treehugger.com

If you live in an area where snow falls, the important thing to remember is removal. Snow that builds up is heavy and can weaken and wear away roofing. It can also block gutters and drainage allowing water to collect on the roof once the snow melts. Melted snow can re-freeze forming ice dams too, which if formed at the edge of the roof can infiltrate the system, weakening it from within.

Hail

Source: honestroof.com

Hail, like snow, may not be a common problem for your area, but if it does happen, it is worse than rain. The continuous hits of large ice pellets damage roofing materials quickly. Once the area is weakened by hail, it is vulnerable to any other elements and likely to weaken much faster. Always check your roof after any hail storm to identify and repair damage right away.

For the best defense against all the elements, work with a licensed and experienced roofing contractor. We can help you prepare and maintain your roof so it withstands every type of weather in your region. You can’t control the weather, but you can control the longevity of your roof with regular inspections and proper maintenance. And we are here to help.