Do Roofers Work in the Winter Time?

Sometimes you put off your roof repair until damage starts to occur. That’s often the case with Winter roofing work. We often get calls from homeowners who are experiencing the results of ice dams.

Water starts to leak through the roofing layers and seeps inside the home. There’s no ignoring this damage until the Spring which means that you need to call a roofing contractor. This also means that we roofers do work in the Winter time. (and sometimes that means just shoveling snow off your roof before we start)

But now that you know the answer to this question, you’re probably wondering what type of work we do.

Types of Work Roofers Do in the Winter

Gutter Work

Roofing companies can actually still do gutter work even during cold temperatures. Unlike shingles which need certain temperatures to set and seal correctly, gutters do not. Gutters rely on nail installation on the siding and therefore the temperature is of no issue. (Ice buildup, however, can be a problem for installation)

In fact, it may be beneficial to ensure your gutters aren’t damaged and flowing correctly.

A roofing contractor has the knowledge to assess the gutters and drainage of your home. This means when the snow does melt that the water flows away from the foundation.

Certain Shingles

We talked about it in this blog post in more detail, however, there are certain shingles that can be installed in the Winter. Certain parts of Alaska are frigid throughout the year and so clearly there is a roofing material suitable for them. There are certain precautions and additional work required to install shingles in the Winter including:

• Storing shingles in a warm place before using so they don’t crack
• Using heating elements to seal the shingles
• Using special adhesives to ensure the shingles seal

Lastly,  if we can plan it just right then there may be days that the temperature climbs just enough to roof correctly. Nebraska Winters are unpredictable in that we may have frigid days followed by moderate Spring-like temperatures.

Summary

The weather can be unpredictable and roof damage can be unpredictable. We do know, however, that roofers do work in the Winter and it is possible to replace your roof.

Choose a roofing contractor that is knowledgeable and knows all the necessary precautions before starting. Make sure this company has experience in roofing in the Winter by asking them some of the following questions:

• How many roofs did you do last Winter?
• How will you ensure my shingles seal?
• What temperature is too cold?

Depending on how they answer those questions, you’ll be able to discern their knowledge.

So to answer your question, “Do roofers work in the winter time?”…you bet!