Problems Of

Roofing In Cold Weather

Roofing in cold weather has a lot of problems but the elements don’t care. However, the ideal conditions for any work are warm, dry, and sunny days. However, getting days with these ideal conditions can be hard, as they are few and far between in the UK. This fact coupled with random and the unexpected nature of roof emergencies means it is clear that roofing in cold weather is something that both the homeowners as well as roof contractors should be prepared for. For the roofing contractor, the choice of suitable material for laying tiles, flashing or fixing guttering has to take account of low-temperature setting. The selection of winter clothing that may reduce movement or manipulation of roofing materials.

Especially the case for roofing contractors, as they should have the experience, knowledge, and expertise to perform roofing jobs in cold weather. With this in mind, we will explore the various aspects of roofing in cold weather to show various points to consider.

1. Roofing Safety Issues

Cold weather causes the roof surface to be extra slippery. The snow, the ice, and frost that usually characterises the cold months have a tendency of making the surface of the roof very slippery. The accumulation of snow can hide certain risks such as debris, skylights, or other materials or components on the roof, which increases the risks involved in working on the roof during winter months. Additionally, the accumulated snow can weigh down the roof and exacerbate the chance of a serious accident happening. With the thawing of ice and re-freezing water can get backed up and form leaks to cause further internal damage. Furthermore, working on the roof can be hard on the body.

Thus, the onus is on the contractor to evaluate and decide if and when the work can proceed and give extra time to plan the project to reduce the risk to as little as possible. Aside from developing a proper plan, it is important to work methodically, taking time to get things right as the potential for failure highly likely. It is also important that those actually working on the roof use the highest grade of safety gear, including fall-arrest equipment and safe footgear. If possible, carry out extensive de-icing before venturing into the project and even while in the project. The least amount of snow and or ice on the roof, the lower the risk of an accident occurring.

Finally, as part of proper planning, consider working when the conditions are going to provide a safer environment. Once the temperature reaches 10 degrees Celsius, the dynamics involved in roofing in cold weather take a turn for the worst. Thus, choosing a day to work on the roof, when the temperatures are higher than this does help

2. Roof Material And Equipment

The performance of the roofing material and the equipment involved in roofing projects is also affected by the lower temperatures. For instance, the roofing materials change their physical state as the temperature falls. For instance, asphalt shingles tend to become more brittle and thus excessively prone to breakages as the temperature falls. In this regard, when working with this roofing material, it is important to store the materials somewhere safe, while avoiding long-term exposure that comes with staging them out in the cold for too long.

Additionally, the adhesive involved in roofing also gets affected. As the temperature drops, the adhesive experiences a diminished ability to spread out due to lower elasticity. This means that the adhesive will not set well, leading to possible leaks and other roof failures far quicker than normal. In this case, the use of special adhesives that can work in such conditions is advised.