This is a common question in the colder months? As the days grow shorter, home-owners get apprehensive about their exterior home projects. The cold weather doesn’t affect metal, slate, or tile projects, but when re-roofing your home with asphalt shingles there are certain guidelines. The general rule accepted by most asphalt shingle manufactures is 40/70.
Something that your pushy roof salesman might not even know is that the shingles themselves become brittle and difficult to handle when the material temperature sinks below 40 degrees. And as a guideline, the installed shingles need ambient warmth above 70 degrees. The average salesman doesn’t care that it takes three to five consecutive days of heat for the shingles to start to seal.
As always, there are some exceptions to these rules. If the shingles are kept in a heated warehouse or a warming trailer up until the installation, they will be pliable enough to install without an issue. The only problem you might run in to is a cheap and hungry salesman telling you that snow doesn’t bother roofing jobs.
On a sunny day it’s 15 – 30 degrees warmer on the roof than it is on the ground. In the colder zones of the country it is acceptable to “spot seal” the new shingles to guarantee the wind will not blow them up before they have a chance to seal. Spot sealing is a cold weather practice where a dab of roof sealant is applied under each tab, but this will add extra labor and material costs to your project.
The short answer is, do not move forward with your winter roofing project unless the weather it is above 40 degrees and sunny, or your project manager has a comprehensive plan laid out to guarantee the proper installation of your new roof.