Can Excessive Sun Exposure Damage Your Roof?
A roof that has suffered damage due to excessive sun exposure.
Things like strong winds, rain, snow, and hail are, for most people, the first thing that comes to mind when they think about the impact of extreme weather conditions on a roof. One of the most commonly overlooked causes of weather-related roof damage is sunlight. The sun has a very polarizing effect on your home and the way you live in it. During the winter, most of us yearn for it and the warmth it provides. If for no other reason than to reduce our ever-growing heating bills. On the other hand, however, excessive sun exposure (specifically UV ray exposure) can, over time, bring extensive damage to our homes. And our roofs are the first and, depending on the material, most vulnerable victims of this.
Other things that cause damage, like strong winds, rain, snow, and hail, can quickly cause severe damage but only happen periodically. Sunlight, however, is always there to chip away slowly at your roof’s health and overall condition. But there are ways to protect your home and minimize its potential damage. The first step of that protection would be getting informed and having a fuller grasp on things like how and what kind of damage sun exposure can cause to your roof, as well as how to diagnose it and protect your roof from it.
How does sun exposure damage your roof?
The first and likely most important thing to discuss is the most frequent mechanics of how sunlight exposure can damage your roof. This information is the basis for understanding how you can protect, diagnose, and repair your roofing system. In general, there are two main mechanisms by which sunlight can damage your roof - coating deterioration and thermal shock. Additionally, there is a special way the sun can damage asphalt roof shingles. Let’s discuss each of these in a bit more detail.
Coating deterioration
During the roof installation, shingles are most often covered with a layer of protective coating, which is meant to make them more resistant and last longer. However, those
coatings can deteriorate and break down because of UV radiation. Without the coating, your shingles are more vulnerable to the elements. This means that they can quickly become brittle and crack.
Aside from the potential dangers that cracked shingles create for the integrity of your entire home, this can also turn into a huge money waste. You will either be re-coating the shingles way too often if you live in an area with a lot of sunlight, or you’ll be renewing shingles more than you usually would. This would also include certain hidden expenses. For example, if roofing contractors are doing repairs on your roof, you’ll have to rent a storage unit where you can keep the things you usually keep in your attic, so they won’t be damaged.
The best way to handle this is prevention which we’ll discuss further in the article.
Thermal shock
Roofing materials can experience thermal shock in climates with sudden switching between extraordinarily sunny and hot days and cool nights during long periods of excessive sun exposure. Thermal shock boils down to your roofing materials expanding throughout the day because of the heat of direct sunlight exposure and then suddenly contracting when temperatures drop after the sun goes down.
How your roof responds to thermal shock depends mostly on the type of material it’s made of. Metal roofing is vulnerable to destabilization when it experiences thermal shock. This means that, for example, since metal roofing is the standard type of roofing in commercial buildings, this kind of damage is one of the biggest risks they are faced with. Asphalt shingles are also at high risk since thermal shock can cause them to soften and flow. This makes your roof extremely susceptible to leaks.
Special case -Asphalt roof shingles
This is a damaging process that only affects asphalt roofs. But, since most homes in America do have asphalt roofing, it’s essential. Because asphalt is petroleum-based, it is susceptible to UV rays. This means it’s not just susceptible to softening and warping from heat caused by sunlight. UV rays penetrate the asphalt and cause a chemical reaction leading to the material’s deterioration. This usually leads to problems such as cracks, blisters, etc.
How can damage caused by excessive sun exposure manifest?
Sun exposure damage creates numerous issues for a homeowner to deal with. The implications of the types of damage this causes can be very serious. But to understand them, we first have to understand the four main kinds of damage that too much sunlight can create.
Cracking and warping
Plastic, metal, and asphalt components of your roof are the most vulnerable to extreme heat caused by direct sun exposure. They heat up more quickly, which causes them to warp or crack over time. Other than asphalt shingles, brackets and flashings are good examples of roof components that are susceptible to heat from intense sunlight.
Bleaching
Bleaching is mostly an aesthetic concern when it comes to sun damage. When roofing materials are exposed to sunlight over a few years, their color will begin to fade. This can make your roof aesthetically unappealing, which usually results in a decrease in home value.
Leaks
This is an issue that lots of people forget when discussing sun exposure damage. It comes as a result of shingle and flashing deterioration. When these components start to crack and warp, they create holes in your roofing system and make it susceptible to leaks once it starts raining.
Shortened roof system lifespan
The more damage and smaller repairs your roof accumulates over time, the shorter its lifespan becomes. This means that if you don’t protect your roof from this type of damage, you’ll have to conduct a roof replacement much sooner than you normally would.
What signs to look out for when checking for sun damage
There are four main things you can look out for to notice damage caused by excessive sun exposure:
1. Areas where granules have worn away - “bald spots”;
2. Noticeably faded colors;
3. Gaps in flashing;
4. Missing or damaged shingles (This is a call for further investigation since other things can cause this).
How to protect your roof
All of this can sound very disheartening. The sun isn’t something that can be avoided, and yet it can cause what sounds like a lot of carnage. However, just like we manage to protect our skin from it by using sunblock, there are steps you can take to protect your roof:
1. Regular maintenance - Most of these damages only get to a concerning level when combined with other things that cause damage to roofing. Regular maintenance should help you nullify those other risks. This subsequently prolongs the time it takes for sun exposure to cause significant damage;
2. UV-resistant shingles - The payoff can be great if you save up some money to invest in these shingles. Since they are designed to reflect the sun’s rays, they are a lot less susceptible to damage from exposure;
3. Cool roof coating - This kind of coating is specifically designed to protect components of your roof that are vulnerable to heat. It works in the same way and can be an alternative to UV-resistant shingles. It reflects sunlight and keeps it cooler;
4. Apply UV protective seal coating to asphalt roof shingles - There are additional coatings that can be applied to asphalt which protect it from UV ray penetration;
5. Act fast - If you notice signs of roof damage caused by sun exposure, you should act fast and contact a roofing company to perform a roof repair before things get worse.
To wrap up
As you can see, excessive sun exposure can cause various kinds of damage to your roof. But, with due diligence and a few investments, this issue can be easily minimized.