6 Types of Weather That Can Damage Your Roof

A strong roof is hugely important to your property’s wellbeing. It protects your home or commercial building from the elements all year round. To do so, it needs to be resistant to everything that mother nature can throw at it.

In this post, we’ll discuss six types of weather and how they can damage your roof.

1.   Rain

Rain is the most common problem for roofs across the UK. It can and will get into any cracks or gaps in your roof’s covering and leak into your property. Rain can also cause damage to your gutters if they are blocked or poorly maintained, overflowing and damaging your home’s foundations.

2.   Wind

With an average speed of around 9mph in the UK, wind doesn’t cause many problems for your roof on a day-to-day basis. However, winds can reach gale force levels of above 40mph in a storm.

First and foremost, that can put serious strain on roof tiles and guttering, constantly blowing them back and forth. If anything is loose or weak before the winds, it will likely be blown off or damaged when they hit.

On top of that, wind can blow leaves and other debris into your gutters – or even onto your roof – causing blockages or other damage.

3.   Ice

When the temperature drops to zero degrees or below, rainwater will turn into ice. The main danger here is that water can get into any cracks in your roofing materials and freeze.

When it does so, it will expand and could cause those cracks to grow. That leaves more room for rainwater to get in or potentially for the whole process to happen again.

4.   Snow

While most of us see snow as a beautiful natural wonder, it does pose a potential issue for your roof. Unlike rain which runs off your roof in an instant, snow will sit on your roof and in your gutters. If that snow gets especially heavy, it will add extra pressure which could damage weak areas.

5.   Hail

Typically sized less than 1cm in diameter, hailstones accompanied by strong winds will batter your roof. As well as the issues that come from the wind, the hail could potentially damage weak parts of your roof such as the guttering.

In particularly extreme cases, where hailstones are larger than an inch in diameter, they could even cause a problem for your roof tiles.

6.   Sun

While most people assume winter is the only bad time for roofs, summer can bring its own problems. Direct heat from the sun can dry out certain roofing materials or even cause blistering on flat roofs. Put simply, that’s when pockets of air inside your roof’s membrane heat up and expand, causing the surface to crack.

Protect your roof whatever the weather

With over 30 years’ experience in roofing, DPR in Pontefract can remedy any issues with your roof caused by all types of weather. From gutter clearance in windy Autumn to flat roof repair through the summer, we’ll make sure your property is protected for complete peace of mind.

Contact us today for more information.