How Hot Weather Can Affect Flat Roofs

by | Jul 31, 2020 | Fort Worth Roofing Contractors

roofing Fort Worth

Many homeowners think that only freezing weather and excessive amounts of snow can cause stress to roofs. Unfortunately, roofing can be just as much affected by heat – according to trusted roofing Fort Worth contractors, here is how scorching summers can impact your roof:

  • Thermal movement – most materials, including many that are used for building roofs, expand when the temperature around them rises and shrink as the air around becomes colder. The repeated expansion and shrinking can cause roofing materials to crack and to split;
  • Blistering – the appearance of blisters mostly affects asphalt shingles, but other materials can develop the small bubble on their surface, too. These blisters usually appear during hot, humid periods and are caused by water that penetrates the surface of the roofing material through tiny, almost invisible punctures – as the water becomes heated by the sun, it expands, causing the blisters, then it becomes evaporated, leaving behind only the bubbles;
  • Fungal growth – when hot weather is coupled with high humidity, the circumstances become favorable for the proliferation of fungi that cause discolored patches to appear;
  • Ponding water – another issue that affects roofs in hot, humid climates. If the material of the roof surface is exposed to moisture for too long, it becomes weakened and more prone to developing leaks.