When we picture winter, we often think about slippery roads and snow-covered roofs. The idea of working on a roof in winter seems odd, but our answer is:
Yes— We Can Replace A Roof In Winter
It’s not as simple as replacing a roof in summer but we replace roofs all winter long, as long as the conditions are right.
There’s a few different reasons why we might wait to work on your home. First, we can’t instal shingles in periods of extreme cold; like those -20C cold snaps we sometimes get. Shingles need time to seal properly and cold air slows this down. If we put them on your house in the extreme cold, they wouldn’t complete their seal and they simply wouldn’t last.
Not to mention that we owe our employees a safe work environment, and extreme cold temperatures would put them at risk of frostbite.
The good news is that temperatures change throughout the day, so a day that starts at -10C and warms to -2C is a perfectly fine day to work on a roof. We monitor the weather to find good days like this.
We also will hold off on installation when there’s extremely high winds, both for safety reasons and to make sure the shingles are installed properly.
Sometimes You Can’t Wait Until Spring
Roofs can get damaged any time of year. When the damage is bad enough, it’s important to get it fixed quickly.
For example, we often see blow-offs happen from high Chinook winds here in Lethbridge. In this scenario, the roof needs to be replaced before more snow comes. There simply isn’t a choice here.
Pros & Cons of Replacing A Roof In Winter
If you’re trying to decide whether or not to get your roof replaced this winter, consider the following points.
PROS
FASTER TIMELINE
We generally get less bookings in winter so we have more availability to get your roof done quickly.
AVOID DAMAGE
Fix problems before they spread to other areas of your house.
EXPERIENCED TEAM
Roofing companies generally have less work to do in winter, so the size of their crew gets smaller. This means they keep their most experienced staff, and that’s who’ll be working on your home.
GREAT TIME FOR METAL ROOFS
Winter is ideal for replacing metal roofs and flat roofs. They require different equipment that can work in the cold and the materials are not affected by temperature, either (it’s still sealed with tar, but it’s a slower process, regardless).
CONS
SHINGLES TAKE LONGER TO SEAL
Although you can get a sooner booking date in winter, the time it takes for the shingles to seal is longer because of colder temperatures.
SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
As we mentioned, extreme cold and extreme winds sometimes force us to postpone bookings.
Leave It To The Professionals
As a regular homeowner, being on top of a roof is dangerous enough in the spring, summer, and fall. When you add in the slippery surfaces and cold temperatures of winter, it’s easy for handy homeowners to get careless and make a mistake.
This is a job best left for the professionals because we have the experience to make the right decisions and the gear to keep us safe.
Regarding all the different conditions we see in winter, we would never push you towards a product we couldn’t back up. Roofs can certainly be replaced in winter, they just need to be done properly. If you’d like to talk about your roof, give us a call at (403) 394-1811.
By Cole Townsend | December 16, 2020
