Autumn is our absolute favorite time of year for roof replacement. As a roofing contractor in Minnesota, we’d much rather spend time on top of houses during fall when the weather is cool and dry – as opposed to during summer, when it is broiling hot and only slightly less humid than the Amazon rainforest.
But your contractor’s comfort is not the only reason why it is best to replace your roof in the fall. Autumn also provides optimal conditions for asphalt shingle installation, and the season precedes the most trying weather a Minnesotan roof has to endure. There’s little wonder why fall is the most popular time to repair and replace roof materials. Here are the six key benefits to having your roof replaced during fall!
1. Asphalt Shingles Are Easiest to Install In Fall Temperatures
Roofing Construction & Estimating – which is quite literally the textbook on roofing – states that the best temperatures for installing asphalt shingles are between 40 and 85 °F. When shingles are exposed to temperatures below this range, they become brittle enough to easily crack beneath a roofer’s hammer. Colder temperatures may also prohibit shingles’ seal strips from adhering correctly.
Conversely, in very hot temperatures shingles soften enough to get scuffed and damaged by foot traffic. Worse yet, very hot shingles become slippery and pose an enormous safety hazard to roofers. This is why many roofers will postpone work until temperatures dip back down under 85 °F. Roofers already have the fourth most dangerous job in America, and take every precaution to ensure it doesn’t rise to third.
2. Storms Are Less Frequent During the Fall
In addition to not being too hot or too cold, fall weather also carries a lower risk of rain. Installing shingles in high humidity increases their risk of warping and bulging once they have sealed. It also increases their likelihood of becoming colonized by mold. A slippery roof is also an inherently dangerous one, which is why rational roofers often decline to work on roofs that are sopping wet.
3. Replacing Your Roof in the Fall Gives Shingles Time to Fully Seal Before Winter
Manufacturers typically advise giving asphalt shingles at least two days to fully seal. There is no downside to giving shingles a greater amount of time to seal, however – especially in cooler climates like the Twin Cities’. Allowing shingles to set for the entirety of autumn is admittedly overkill, but greater peace of mind when it comes to roofing is never a bad thing where the winters are so hostile!
4. Replacing Your Roof in the Fall Prepares Your Home for Winter
A Minnesotan winter is the ultimate test of a roof’s integrity. Replacing your roof just before blizzard season ensures no tiny holes or leaks will threaten damage to your home. It also ensures that your roof possesses the fortitude it needs to bear the weight of blizzards and ice dams. A roof cave-in is an expensive problem, but it is also a completely avoidable one if you have the foresight to replace your roof during autumn!
Winter weather doesn’t just increase an old roof’s risk of leaking or collapsing. Squirrels, mice, raccoons and birds all desire warm and dry accommodations during the winter, and may settle inside your home unless its roof is properly sealed off from the outdoors. These animals are cute in certain circumstances, but never when they are living inside your attic.
5. Roofing Contractors May Become Unavailable During Winter
We can’t speak for roof contractors in the American South, where the weather remains agreeable enough for roofing during the winter. But if you need emergency roof repair in Minnesota during the winter, you may just find yourself out of luck. Many members of roofing crews seek steadier (and more comfortable) lines of work during the winter season, which means you will likely have to pay higher prices for roofing – assuming you are able to find a contractor to begin with.
6. A New Roof Enhances Energy Efficiency
Heat rises. If your home’s roof does not form an integrous barrier, then it cannot help but let valuable heat escape from your home. A new roof is a well insulated roof, which will retain heat and save you appreciable money on utility bills.
Do you need a roofing contractor in the Twin Cities area this fall? Then give Angell’s Construction a call! Our expert roofing technicians are standing by to create the strong, reliable and attractive roof your home deserves, and will spare you the costs and hassle an old roof is likely to put you through this coming winter.