In Michigan, Winter Roofing is Always an Emergency. When your home needs roof installation, there are two options for how to approach the situation. The first option is when you know that roofing is in your future, but there is no pressing schedule. If your roof is approaching it’s lifetime end or if you are planning a home expansion, then you can schedule your roofing for when the timing and the weather is best. In Michigan, that means Spring and Summer when the weather is warm and clear, safest for roofing and best for the roofing materials to adhere in the warm sunshine.
So if your Ann Arbor home needs roofing installation in the winter, we can assume your situation falls into the second category: emergency roofing services. Roofing installation is a big project that involves stripping away your old roof, potentially exposing your attic, and building a whole new layered shingle roof over your whole home or a significant section of the roof.
If you are here because your Ann Arbor roof is badly damaged or already open and letting in the cold weather, we know this is an emergency that must be resolved immediately. Our team is here to help you with emergency roofing installation services, and this blog will help you greater understand both the services available and what you can expect from emergency winter roofing installation in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Spring and Summer – Typical Roofing Installation Months
Roofing is an all-year business that is also highly seasonal. While roofers offer their services for repairs and emergencies year-round, roofing is best done in the Spring and Summer, so that is when large and predictable projects are scheduled. Warm weather makes roofing safer and makes the roofing materials more pliable during installation. Dry weather is also essential for protecting both your home interior and the roofers on top of your home. Because roofing installation is a large roofing task, these projects are typically pre-scheduled for Spring and Summer months.
However, not everyone has a choice in when to schedule roofing installation services. If a storm rips your roof open or crashes a tree through your home, re-roofing is an emergency – not something that can be put off until spring. In this case, you need emergency roofing installation to get your home sealed back up as a safe, warm place for the family to live.
What Causes Winter Roofing Emergencies?
Emergency winter roofing is usually caused by a very short list of very serious problems. A roof must be seriously damaged and letting in noticeable moisture or cold before repairs are typically called in. Most of the time, lesser repairs like patches and reinforcement can be implemented during the winter with a more detailed and thorough roofing service in the Spring. However, holes in your roof shingles stripped bare are urgent problems and you will need new roofing installation immediately.
Top 3 Causes of Winter Roofing Emergencies
- Storm Damage
- Surprise Leaks
- Snow Collapse
Roof Installation after Winter Storm Damage
Winter storms in Michigan are legendary in their severity. Winds top 50mph yearly and historic storms have seen upwards of 100mph. This kind of wind can rip the shingles from your roof and blow dangerously large debris around. These winds can break large tree branches and even pick up lawn furniture to throw around. Needless to say, some property damage occurs every year as a result of Michigan winter storms. Rooftops are often subject to the most damage from both sheer wind force and falling tree branches.
Storm-broken tree branches and fallen trees are the number one cause of emergency winter roof installation. These large impacts can destroy an entire section of your home’s roof, such that even the underlying roof structure will need to be rebuilt.
Wind damage can often be repaired rather than fixed with reinstallation, but bald sections of your roof likely need to be fully taken up and reinstalled. Bare sections of roof should be considered to be damaged to at least the underlayment. The shingle layering will need to be rebuilt and there’s a good chance that the underlying wood structure has suffered moisture damage while exposed.
Roof Installation after Discovering Leaks
Roof leaks are the leading cause of winter emergency roof repairs in which patching with new shingles is the solution. However, sometimes a leak is the first indoor-noticeable sign of more significant damage. If there is a perceptible leak in your home that tracks to the roof, there is a chance you will need roof installation services that go beyond simple repairs.
A serious leak can reveal that the last storm stripped away your shingles or left a hole. It can also let you know if your flashing or other sealing features of your roof have been damaged.
Leaks cannot be ignored in the winter, even if they seem minor, because of the cold that water can bring in. Not only do leaks cause critical water damage to wood and drywall materials – but a channel for freezing water into your home can become a health risk to the family. Not to mention an impact on your power bill.
Roof Installation after Snow Collapse
Older homes may not have strong roofing structures underneath the shingles. Underlayment and beams that are already damaged by moisture or decades of mold or insect infestation can become porous and weak. This is often recognizable by broken spines and sagging slopes when viewing the home’s roof from a distance. These sags form troughs that catch snow instead of helping it to slide off the steep edges. The snow piles up and becomes too heavy for the weakened beams and underlayment to hold, which can cause a roof collapse.
Snow collapse means that an entire section of the roof has fallen in, and potentially the rest of the roof is soon to give way. This is most common in very old homes and unoccupied homes that are irregularly maintained. When the roof collapses, a large section or your entire roof will need to be reinstalled no matter what time of year it is.
Emergency Roof Inspection, Repair, and Installation
When your roof has been damaged during winter months, call for an inspection immediately after you take notice. The first sign may be an indoor leak, visible damage seen from outdoors, or a sudden drop in the home’s temperature.
A professional roofing inspector will arrive and very carefully investigate the state of your roof. They will be able to tell you what the problem is and the right services to repair the home. Fortunately, most winter roofing damage can be resolved with minor repairs – a few replaced or reinforced components. Roof repairs normally take one or maybe two visits to complete and can be done by securing only a few sections of your roof in the cold weather.
In extreme situations, some of your roof may require reinstallation. If the damage is too deep or the section is to large, then roofing installation will be necessary. This process will require a team and may require one to four days of work, depending on the area being installed and the weather conditions. Ann Arbor roofers will remove all damaged material, then reinstall structure and shingles so that your roof is whole again.
Special Requirements for Winter Roofing Services
Winter roofing also has a few special considerations. Winter rooftops are more dangerous and Winter weather is more fickle than the Summer. Roofing materials are also profoundly affected by the cold temperatures achieved in a Michigan winter.
Schedule with Weather Permitting
Roofing services cannot be performed during precipitation. If conditions are wet or significantly icy, then it’s too dangerous to do work on the roof. This is one of the reasons the warm seasons are favored for roofing work – fewer rainy days. This means that even emergency services can be delayed by foul weather, and any scheduled service may be postponed if it’s too dangerous to send out roofing crews. Your roofers will reschedule your repairs as soon as they can be done safely.
Icy Roof Safety
Speaking of safety, even clear weather can be dangerous with icy rooftops. Roofers will need to implement additional safety measures and roof preparation steps for work to be done. They may sweep or your roof clear of snow and may sprinkle grit to increase traction. They may use safety lines and implement strategies to keep warm throughout a repair duration.
Cold Temperatures and Roofing Materials
Everyone knows that cold causes adhesive and soft items to go stiff, and roofing materials are no exception. Asphalt shingles are less flexible and more brittle in extreme cold, and the adhesive used to seal them does not work correctly below freezing. A special adhesive must be used for winter roofing work.
ASAP Roofing Services for Winter Emergencies
If you live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and need emergency cold-weather roofing repairs, A2 Roofing can help. Our team of roofing technicians understands that a damaged roof affects the health and safety of your family and the long-term condition of your home. We keep a line open for emergencies 24 hours a day, year-round. Call us at 734-548-9915 for an immediate consultation on your emergency roofing installation or repair needs or Contact Us online to communicate during business hours.
