Excessive sun exposure damage is a serious concern when choosing the right roofing materials for your home in San Antonio. Unfortunately, not many people will consider roof sun damage a serious threat.
Most homeowners focus on the durability, longevity, and curb appeal of the shingles, forgetting the thermal shock roofs get from direct sunlight exposure. It’s important that you also research the material’s ability to withstand extreme UV rays.
Some roofs come with protective coating applied on asphalt shingles. Homeowners who know about the potential roof damage from excessive sun exposure will want such coating on their roofs.
Today, we will discuss how to direct sun exposure affects your roof, hoping to help you protect your house much better. Keep reading.
UV Radiation Effects on the Roofs
Many homeowners don’t know that roof leaks can result from excessive exposure. Sun rays can cause outer coating damage on your asphalt roof through the following effects.
Bleaching
Think about what happens when you put colored clothes in a bleaching agent – they fade away. The same effect can be seen in certain roofing material options.
Metal roofs with protective coating seem to withstand these elements better than asphalt shingles. The darker the roof is, the more prone it is to this effect.
Although it does not affect your house’s structural integrity, it can adversely affect its curb appeal. A roof can easily bleach and change its appearance.
Damages on the roof coating
A more serious sun exposure damage is the one on the roof coating. A roof needs a protection layer to block natural elements.
Sun’s rays, also known as ultraviolet rays, dry up the protective coatings, causing cracks that can extend to raptures. Prolonged exposure can further damage the underlying layers, leading to roof leaks.
The coating has particles responsible for keeping your house cooler. Once damaged by regular sun exposure, you can only resolve this by installing a new roof. This could be quite challenging if you didn’t have any budget for the same.
Thermal shock
Thermal shock is another sun exposure damage that homeowners must know. Darker rooftops are highly susceptible to this effect.
High heat during the day and subsequent drops in temperature during the night lead to a never-ending cycle of expansion and contraction. After several years, the roof shingles develop jagged cracks.
Water starts penetrating through these cracks to cause roof leaks and moss growth. This can eventually affect the structural integrity of your roof, forcing you to replace it even when you are not ready still.
Metal roofs become extremely weak from years of thermal shock. The effect may not be drastic, but it will eventually lead to serious damage to the roof.
Recognizing Roof Damage
As you can see, sun exposure damage is real. You can recognize it more on the side of the roof facing where the sun rises from. Here are some of the symptoms to look for:
- Cracks and curling on the shingles
- Missing shingles
- Discoloration on the walls and ceiling
- Water leaks
- Mold and dry rot in the attic
You can only recognize this damage if you know it exists and if you know what to look for. You cannot prevent it, but you can take some measures to give your roof a fighting chance.
These include the following:
Regular roof inspections
Ask a roofing specialist to check your roofs for sun exposure damage. They will then recommend the most appropriate action to ensure your roof stays strong for longer.
Always install high-quality roofs
A good roof saves energy. So the best solution for bleach objects is using the strongest material on the market. These will give you a few years before you start thinking about repairs or replacements.
Use protective coating
You can apply another protective layer on your old decks and shingles to give them a few more years of service. This might be a lasting solution, but it protects your roof from further damage from sunlight exposure.
Conclusion
Your roof is the most exposed part of the house to damaging UV rays. There is nothing you can do that will prevent the damage eventually. But that does not mean just sitting and waiting for it to happen.
Bison Roofing experts recommend the measures above for a longer-lasting roof. Call us today to install quality material and offer maintenance services. You will never have to worry about the sun’s damage.