Living in Florida certainly has its perks. Sunshine, Disney World, year-round golf courses, the list goes on and on. But, for all of the benefits, there are also some downsides. As residential roofers, the All Area Roofing team has seen firsthand how the Florida climate can have a negative impact on our client’s roofing systems.
To keep you informed, the residential roofers at All Area are sharing the five biggest threats to your Florida roof and what you need to be aware of to protect your home. Keep reading below to learn more!
Five Major Threats to Your Florida Roof
- The Florida Sunshine
They certainly don’t call Florida the Sunshine State for nothing! As much as we love the Florida sun and our year-round tans, the strong UV rays and constant sunshine can do a number on our roofs.
If you have asphalt shingles on your home, you should know that UV rays can lead to a breakdown of the chemical coating on your shingles. When this happens, the oily substance covering the shingles can evaporate, leaving them unprotected. This can lead to dry, cracked shingles. Scheduling regular maintenance with your residential roofers can help keep your shingles safe from sun damage.
- Heat Degradation
It isn’t just the damaging UV rays we’re obligated to warn you about, but the overall heat degradation your shingles may face. The extreme Florida summers can cause your shingles to rapidly expand, followed by rapid contraction when temperatures cool in the fall. This can cause straining for your shingles and lead to a number of issues.
Your residential roofers should inspect shingles that are peeling, splitting, or cracking, as these are all major signs of heat degradation. Left untreated, these cracks leave room for moisture and water damage overtime.
- Heavy Frequent Rainstorms
Native Floridians know that afternoon storms seem to appear almost every day out of absolutely nowhere. These frequent, heavy rain showers can wear down shingles and other elements of your roofing structure overtime. If they bring strong enough winds with them, they can even cause shingles to come loose from your roof.
Loose or missing shingles can easily lead to water damage that penetrates the roof deck and compromises the overall integrity of your roofing system. Moisture can also lead to problems like mold, mildew, and wood rot in your attic.
- Poor Ventilation
As Florida based residential roofers, we firmly believe that a well ventilated attic and roofing system is one of the most important elements of your home. Poorly ventilated attics can cause air and heat to become trapped, leading to many issues for your home including decreased energy efficiency, mold, mildew, and wood rot. Avoid these issues by ensuring your home is properly ventilated and if it is not, taking the necessary steps to fix the issue.
- Overhanging Tree Limbs
We love our palm trees, the bigger the better! But, only when all limbs and branches are a safe distance from our homes. When tree limbs grow long enough that they hang over your home, they become a major hazard to your roof and home in general. All it takes is one extreme storm to take a limb off and send it right onto your roof, puncturing your shingles and leading to major repairs or even a replacement. Mitigate this risk by keeping tree limbs away from your property so it never becomes an issue.
Despite the many threats to our Florida roofs, the residential roofers at All Area Roofing would want to live anywhere else. We’ll take our UV rays and heat degradation over ice and snow pile ups any day of the week!
If the list made you pause to consider whether your roof might be in need of a few repairs, our team is here for you. Give us a call and we can schedule you for an inspection with one of our expert residential roofers today!
