Once summer arrives, it’s easy to ignore your building’s roof. Your focus is likely to shift to landscaping maintenance and simply enjoying the warm weather. Unfortunately, ignoring your roof can lead to major complications and costly repairs.

UV Damage

The sun’s strong ultraviolet light can damage your building’s roofing. It can dry out the materials, cause them to shrink and eventually make them crack. This exposes the underlying wood layer to the elements, which often leads to damage that weakens your roof and makes it more susceptible to leaks.

Heat Degradation

Summer’s extreme heat can soften your roofing material. As a result, your roof will be more vulnerable to environmental harm, including water damage and rust corrosion.

Accelerated Aging

Roof replacements can be quite expensive, so you need to do everything you can to make your current roof last as long as possible. That intense summer heat also speeds up the chemical processes in your roofing materials. As those materials degrade, they shorten your roof’s lifespan.

Hidden Damage

Not all damage from UV light and extreme temperatures is immediately noticeable. Hidden damage leads to leaks and other future problems. Without routine roof maintenance, you won’t find out about these issues until it rains heavily.

Mold and Mildew

Summer heat provides the ideal environment on your roof for mold and mildew growth. This is especially true if you already have leaks or condensation issues. Mold and mildew can decompose organic materials, such as wood, drywall and insulation. This weakens your structural integrity, and it can leave behind stains on your walls and ceilings.

Energy Efficiency

Your building will be harder to cool if your roof has damage. If your roof isn’t in good condition, it won’t be able to repel heat. Instead, it’ll absorb heat and transfer it inside. Your cooling system will have to work extra hard to meet your comfort needs, which wastes energy and leads to high utility bills.

Employee Safety

Many of these summer-related roof problems, such as mold and leaks, can create a safety hazard for you and your employees and visitors. Water that leaks in can cause slips and falls. Mold and mildew can cause allergic reactions and severe respiratory and immune-related issues.

By scheduling routine roof maintenance throughout the summer, you can avoid many of these heat- and sun-related problems. During a roof inspection, we can locate potential issues and repair them before they grow into more serious situations. This will save you money when it comes to repairs and premature roof replacement, and it can help you stay safe and comfortable.

Call Guy Brothers Roofing in Mobile, AL to learn more about all our commercial roof services.