How Heat and Humidity Can Damage Your Asphalt Shingle Roof

Autumn is a good time for roofs in southern Georgia. The mild and dry weather means that your asphalt shingle roof will face little trouble from the weather. But after a hot and humid summer, your roof may be in need of repair or maintenance; heat and humidity can damage an asphalt shingle roof in a number of ways.

The mild and dry weather of autumn in southern Georgia means that autumn is the ideal time for roof maintenance. If your roof has suffered any of the following damage due to heat and humidity, it's time to call in a roofing professional.

During the intense heat of summer, the wooden components of a roof can suffer. This is because of thermal expansion, which happens when wood is exposed to prolonged heat. Because the wood used in buildings contains a small amount of moisture, it expands in heat. This means the wooden components of your roof, including the rafters, joists and support beams, all expand in hot weather.

When the wooden components of your roof expand, and then shrink after cooling, they may break, warp, or crack. And because of the humidity in southern Georgia, moisture may then enter your attic.

Thermal expansion can also affect your roof's flashing. When your roof's joists expand in heat, they could cause plastic flashing to stretch and warp. In some cases, the flashing may even break. Since flashing helps to seal off the different sections of your roof to keep out moisture, damaged flashing can cause disastrous leaks during heavy rainfall.

And you should keep in mind that even metal flashing may warp because of thermal expansion.  

If moisture enters your attic through damaged shingles or flashing, it will create condensation. With nowhere to go, this moisture will cause the wooden structure of your roof to rot. And mold will begin to form on the wet surfaces. This can further degrading the wooden components of your roof. In time, wood rot and mold could compromise your roof and put you in danger.

When exposed to prolonged and intense heat, asphalt shingles can dry out and shrink. Not only will this cause the nails holding the shingles in place to pop up, but it will also cause those shingles to curl. This will leave your roof weakened in multiple spots, which will allow moisture into your attic.

If your attic is poorly insulated, and you have substantial heat rising up into your attic from below, this could cause the asphalt shingles to blister and crack. If you don't replace these shingles, rain can seep through these spots and weaken your roof, damage your insulation, and even damage your ceilings and walls. Pests can also gain entry through damaged shingles.

Although asphalt shingles do have a long lifespan, an intensely hot summer can cause asphalt shingles to fade. And this isn't just an aesthetic problem. Certain colors help to reflect some of the sun's heat from your roof, but faded asphalt shingles will be unable to keep out the summer heat, and as such, your energy bills will increase over the summer as you cool your home.

The mild autumn weather is here to stay for a little longer. Now is the time for roof inspection and repair. Call Alpha Roofing Services today to arrange a roof inspection. We can help to ensure your roof is ready for the cooler weather of winter.