Replacing A Roof In Cold Weather

Hot boxes are ideal for cold weather storage freeze protection transporting job site heating remote location use and winter roofing.

Replacing a roof in cold weather.

But even if snow and ice haven t accumulated on the roof in need of replacing when the weather grows too cold profoundly affects an installer s ability to use tools and operate equipment. Applying shingles in cold weather increases the chances of blow offs. Sometimes the seriousness of the roof situation outweighs the risk of doing the job in winter but in most cases it s wise to wait until the temperature is above freezing. Even if you don t intend to replace your entire roof this winter your roof still may require maintenance.

This is because shingles come with a sealant strip that might not activate in cold weather. Finally the crew leader is responsible for deciding if the roof is tabbing or not and if cold weather precautions hand seal should be taken. The adhesive on shingles may also fail to stick in cold weather and may not become fully adhered to the roof until summer. To avoid these issues avoid roofing in temperatures below 40 degrees f.

If the installer does not follow the cold weather instructions few can afford to because it requires you to hand seal each shingle you can have a shingle blow off. For much of the work in roof replacement dexterity of hands and fingers is essential and heavy winter gloves are not an option. Standard hot boxes hold product between 100 f and 120 f 38 c and 49 c and optional adjustable thermostatic controllers allow temperatures to be precisely controlled. Fiberglass shingles are some of the most likely shingles to break in cold weather.

Remember that the rake edges areas between dormers and top few courses of the roof are the most prone to wind issues due to the wind speed increasing as it goes over the roof. The crew should look out for this and hand seal with roofing cement in a caulking gun if the weather is too cold to activate the bond. The best time to install a new roof is when the weather is warmer than 50 degrees the shingles need heat from the sun to seal. Additionally cold weather applications require six 6 nails instead of the usual four 4.