Shingles And Sun Exposure

There are many threats that your roof faces on a daily basis. From weather-related incidents such as high winds, rain, sleet, snow and hail to other incidents such as falling objects, there are a lot of ways that your roof can sustain damage.

Even when weather conditions are perfect, though, your roof’s shingles are slowly but surely being affected by another wonderful aspect of Mother Nature — sunlight.

While bright sunny skies would seemingly be ideal conditions for a roof, the fact is that excessive exposure to the sun can cause significant damage to your roof.

Homes in some parts of the country are especially susceptible to sun exposure damage, particularly in places such as Texas and Florida that experience a lot of sunshine as well as high temperatures.

No matter where your home is located, though, sun exposure can wear down your roof shingles over time. Here is how sun exposure can affect your roof’s shingles.

Discoloration

The UV rays that emanate from the sun are extremely powerful, especially during the hottest times of the day. Just like the sun can cause other materials to discolor — including wood deck, fencing and sheds, as well as paver patios — it can cause roof shingles to fade over time, too.

This is an issue for two reasons. One, a faded roof doesn’t look good. When the color isn’t as vibrant as it was when it was installed, it doesn’t make your home look as good as it could.

More importantly, though, discoloration can actually affect the performance of your roof. This is especially true of some of the other components of the roof, such as some of the metal parts, to rust, which could weaken the integrity of the structure.

To counter this, consider lighter-colored roof shingles, which are better at reflecting the sun’s rays.

UV Damage

The sun emits harmful ultraviolet rays, which can do significant damage to your roof. This is especially true during the summer months, when the UV rays are at their harshest.

Just like UV rays can burn your skin on overcast days — and why it’s important to wear sunscreen on cloudy days — it can do the same to your roof. The UV rays can lead to various materials decaying faster than they would on their own.

The wood sections of your roof can bleach and crack. Shingles might buckle and peel. Protective oils on many roofing materials can also dry out and become brittle.

In addition, UV light can break down the chemical compounds that make up asphalt shingles. When these break down, this oily covering ends up evaporating, which removes a protective shield.

Curling and Shrinkage

The sun’s heat can cause damage to your roof from the inside out. Excessive heat inside of your home can cause your roof shingles to curl and/or shrink. This is especially true if your home has poor ventilation.

Hot air that is in your home needs to have a place to escape properly and efficiently. While modern homes are typically built with multiple roof vents, which allow the hot air to escape your home through its attic. Soffits also help to facilitate the circulation of air.

If your home doesn’t have the proper venting, though, the heat can have a hard time escaping, which could then cause damage to the shingles above.

What you might observe on the shingles is that they curl up from the edges. When this happens, moisture can get underneath the shingles, causing major damage to the structure of the roof beneath it.

The same can happen when shingles shrink. Eventually, as the shingles continue to shrink, the nails in place to keep them on the roof might pop out, allowing the shingles to actually move out of place and fall. 

This will result in parts of your roof being exposed to the elements, which is never a good thing. 

Blistering

The bottom layer of most asphalt shingles are made from fiberglass. On top of that is a layer of granules, which is typically a combination of crushed stones and minerals.

This granule layer not only provides your roof with its color, but it also serves as a protective layer, shielding your roof from the sun’s UV rays. 

If the shingles get too hot — either because of the direct sun outside or the extra heat in your attic below, it’s possible for the shingles to overheat. Moisture that could be trapped inside of the shingles can then expand, causing the asphalt to soften.

If this happens, you might notice that the granules could pop off, especially when it’s very hot outside. Again, this would leave parts of your roof exposed to the elements.

Once blistering occurs, it never improves; it only gets worse. Therefore, it is one of the most significant negative impacts that the sun’s harmful rays can have on a roof.

Other Components

As mentioned already, sun exposure can cause major damage to other components of your roof as well — not just the asphalt shingles directly.

This includes the flashing, gutters, vents and more. If any of these components gets damaged, it can eventually result in indirect damage to your roof itself.

For instance, if the flashing begins to rust and holes appear in it, water can get behind and seep into the structure of your roof — causing leaks and wood rot. The same can happen with your gutters.

If it’s exposed to the sun, it can be damaged in some way, shape or form.

Use a Local Company You Can Trust to Replace Your Roof

All roofs will suffer damage from the exposure to the sun — no matter what materials they’re made from and how well they’re installed. If you use the highest-quality asphalt shingles, though, and ensure that you’re on top of maintenance, you can help to extend the life of your roof.

When it comes time to replace your roof, it’s important to work with a local roofing company you can trust. This ensures that your roof is being installed properly and with the hightest-quality materials possible — giving you the peace of mind that you deserve.

The Roof Resource is that local roofing company. We provide a unique approach to roof replacement projects, which can result in customers getting a new roof at 50% less than retail price.

For more information, or to get a free 100% virtual proposal, contact us today.