Sun Damage To Your Roof: What You Need to Know

Your roof is designed to take all kinds of damage, as it’s under attack every day. Rainfall washes away protective elements, and if it gets under your shingles it can cause all sorts of damage. Falling debris, like tree branches, can create holes in your roof if you’re not careful. But, have you ever thought about any sun damage to your roof?

Here’s why it’s a danger, and how you can protect your home’s roof from it.

 

The Sun And Your Roof

When you think about it, your roof is under attack by the sun almost every day.

It’s beating down heat and ultraviolet rays down on the tiles all day, every day.

You don’t think about the sun being damaging to your roof, as you think of roof damage as being more violent and sudden.

Don’t allow yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security, though.

If you want to keep your roof safe, you’re going to need to protect it against the sun.

How is the sun damaging your roof, and how can you stop it?

 

How The Sun Causes Damage To Your Roof

The damage the sun causes to your roof is slow, but effective. Once there is damage, there’s no going back.

Here are five common types of sun damage that occurs to your roof:

• Heat dries up your roof tiles: Your roof tiles are made with oils, that are designed to help your roof expand and contract when needed. With the hot sun beating down on your roof, though, those oils can quickly dry up. Once there’s no more oil, the roof tiles can start tearing at the weatherproofing, creating gaps. Once those gaps are there, holes can form and serious leaks can happen.
• Expanding and contracting can damage your roof: When your tiles get hot, they’ll expand with the heat. When the weather gets cooler at night, they’ll contract again. When the weather is hot, the tiles will expand and contract more dramatically. Again, this will open up your roof to damage, such as pulling flashing away from corners and letting water in.
• UV damage breaks down your roof: Ultraviolet rays are invisible but incredibly dangerous. You know about protecting your skin from them, but did you know that you should protect your roof from them too? They will break down your roof tiles slowly but surely, leading to them coming apart and needing replacement.
• Warping and cracking: This happens most often to materials such as plastic roofing materials. These materials can heat up quickly in the sun, changing shape. The stress can be too much, and they’ll crack and break, weakening your roof.
• Bleaching of your tiles: If you’ve ever seen driftwood out on a beach, you’ll know how direct sunlight can bleach items. It can happen to your roof too. The side of your roof that’s in the most contact with the sun will often become bleached, fading to a lighter color than the rest of your tiles.

 

 

How To Avoid Sun Damage

That’s a lot of things that can go wrong with your roof, just by being in contact with the sun. How can you stop this sun damage?

Luckily, there are some actions you can take.

Here’s what you can do to avoid sun damage:

• Inspect your roof: You should already be regularly inspecting your roof, to ensure that there’s no damage being done to it by rain and storms. During those inspections, look for sun damage too. The quicker you spot it, the easier it will be to rectify.
• Change the materials you use: Stone panels or clay tiles are often used in hotter climates, as they can stand the heat better, and won’t change shape as much as regular roof tiles will. Similarly, metal roofs help to keep your home cool and help reduce sun damage.
• Pick your color carefully: Sun bleaching isn’t a major problem, but if you’re worried about your tiles looking worn, you can avoid it. When you change your tiles, pick a grey, tan, or white tile color. These are the least likely to bleach and will stay looking good in the sun.
• Try a reflective roof coating: There are ways to bounce heat and UV radiation back off your roof, lessening the damage they do. A reflective coating on your roof could be the way forward. Some tiles already come with the coating, so if you’re replacing your tiles keep an eye out for them.
• Stay off your roof: If you need to get up and look at your roof, make sure you’re not walking on it if at all possible. The more you walk across your roof, the more damage you’re likely to do to it. You want to lessen the damage happening, so stay off it as much as you can.
• Don’t be afraid to replace your roof: There are times when you’re going to have to replace your roof, either in part or in full. Don’t be afraid to do this. The roof you have now may not be the best one for sunny weather, and so by replacing your roof you’re making it that much stronger.

 

Call In A Roofer For An Expert Opinion

Some homeowners aren’t too confident about checking their own roof for damage.

After all, they’re not sure exactly what’s damage, and what’s normal for their roof.

Does this sound like you? If so, the best thing to do will be to call in a certified roofer to handle the check for you.

It’s amazing what kinds of sun damage can attack your roof.

Heat and UV rays are dangerous, causing breaks and cracks in the roof that invite further damage over time. If you keep on top of the repairs though, you’ll have a roof that can stand up to all kinds of weather.