Five Reasons Why Replacing Your Roof in the Winter is a Good Idea!

Reason #1 Roofers Work in the Winter!
People are often surprised when I tell them that we install roofs throughout the winter in Michigan. Isn’t it cold? Isn’t there snow? And ice?
My guy’s first priority on every job is their safety and the safety of their fellow crew, homeowners, and pets. And they’re especially cautious when working in winter conditions. But I think every roofer would tell you he’d rather be up on a roof in February in thirty-degree weather brushing snow off your roof than sweltering in 100-degree heat in July. (I estimate it’s about twenty degrees hotter on a roof than it is on the ground, so that 100 feels like 120!)
Hydration is easier in winter. And deck brooms, high-powered blowers, and a little sodium chloride make short order of even the worst snow.
Reason #2 Shingle Granules Are Less Prone to Damage
Shingles are made of asphalt and have small ceramic granules embedded into the asphalt to make them waterproof. Walking around on a newly installed roof invariably shakes some of these granules loose. When it’s very hot outside, the granules tend to flake off easier because the asphalt holding them on to the shingle expands, so installing a roof in the winter actually reduces the immediate wear on your new roof.
Reason #3 Less Chance of Damage to Landscaping
The guys installing a new roof are going to war. Physically, they’re battling fatigue and dehydration. Mentally, they’re constantly reconciling the need for their safety with the need to get work done. Just being on a roof is work, and then you have to work on top of it.
My guys take great pride in tearing off a roof in a way that does not cause damage to your home and landscaping, but there is not a crew in this world who can put a roof on your house in a way that you not to be able to tell the difference in your landscaping afterwards.
Winter roofing helps reduce the impact on your landscape because bushes, shrubs, and trees are in a dormant state with reduced foliage. Flowers aren’t in bloom. Grass isn’t lustrous. Small pieces of shingles are easier to spot in the yard. A lot of little things add up here.
Reason #4 Problem Areas Are More Visible
A roof needs to be ventilated to keep air moving from the soffits (near your gutters) to the peak of the roof (ridge vent). It’s important to move moisture out of the roof to prevent mold and fungus from developing.
Melting snow on a roof is a big indicator of improper ventilation. The snow on your roof should not melt, because the warm, moisture-laden air from the house is being vented away from the roof and out the vents at the top of the peak.
If you see snow melting on the roof, the ventilation in that area needs to be addressed, and this is mush easier to see in the winter.
Winter is also a great time to see how water moves on the roof, whether it pools anywhere, and to spot potential ice dam areas.
Reason #5 Easier Scheduling
Because of the myths associated with winter roofing, fewer people roof in the winter. This makes it much easier for most roofers to schedule your job across dates that work for you, rather than when their busy season schedule permits. This can be important if you want to be home during the process, or if you prefer to schedule the job at a time when your children are going to be in school and away from the home.