We all know that rain, hail, and snow can impact your roof negatively, but how is your roof fairing when the weather is doing nothing at all? During droughts, there is no rain, but there is a lot of hot, dry air. Can hot, dry air (or cold, dry air) negatively impact your roof?
The answer is yes. Dry air dries out the sealants used on roofing materials. Moreover, without rain, there are fewer days of cloud cover, which means that the strong UV rays of summer beat down on your roof for more hours. The longer your roof is subjected to these strong UV rays, the more likely weatherproofing agents and sealants will prematurely age and break down. Your roof is designed to expand and contract as temperatures change, but if the sealants are dried out, and your roof has to expand and contract to cope with temperature changes from morning to night, the risk for cracking is greater. When these cracks in sealant occur, your roof may experience a leak the next time it rains.
So, what does this mean for you? The next time we experience a dry spell, don’t just forget about your roof. Especially if your roof is older, this would be an opportune time to have your roof inspected and any repairs completed to ensure that your roof is leak-free when the rain starts to pour again.
