The warmer seasons of the year may be easier on your roof, but it doesn’t mean you should go easy on roof maintenance. Spring and summer bring about problems that are only present during the warmer times of the year.
Heat damage
Unlike in fall or winter, when the air is cold throughout the day, outdoor temperatures during spring and summer tend to reach a very high point at noon and eventually cool off at night. This means roof shingles or panels tend to expand and contract more, and are vulnerable to being warped out of shape. Fortunately, proper installation (leaving enough room for tiles to expand without pushing against each other) can help avoid this problem. Warped tiles or panels can leave gaps where water can pass through and should be replaced as soon as possible.
Birds
Birds usually start building nests during spring, and your roof is a perfect, safe building spot for most bird species. Most birds will usually make their homes under the roof eaves, but some will try to find the smallest gaps on your roof and try to make it bigger by tearing at it. Since getting rid of inhabited bird nests is illegal in some states, the safest way to avoid bird-related damage is by preventing them from building a nest in the first place. This can be done by placing barriers in possible entryways such as gutter spouts, chimneys, and air vents.
Mold and Mildew
Although rain occurs more often during colder season, mold and mildew tend to grow faster during the warmer months. In fact, many cases of mold formations start from condensed moisture that accumulates on air vents, because air conditioning units work extra hard to keep the indoors cold during spring or summer. Check vents in the ceiling for dark spots or stains and get rid of the moisture before mold starts developing. Spring and summer is also the perfect time to search for possible roof leaks since the sun shines brighter.
We are done with the warm seasons and hopefully your roof is still problem free. Stay tuned for Part 3, which will deal with the harsher half of the seasons – fall and winter.