Autumn in Fort Lauderdale may not seem much different from other times of the year, but autumn weather is not identical to the area’s sun-drenched summer months. What effect does fall weather have on your roof? As a leading commercial roofer in the Fort Lauderdale area, we at PSI Roofing can tell you first-hand what to expect.
Hurricanes
With nearly all of autumn encompassing hurricane season, wind and water generated by hurricanes can slam into commercial roofs with terrific force. Wind uplift, wind-driven water, and damaging hail can all cause rooftop deterioration. Your commercial roofer can read a roof quickly and tell from various clues just what it endured:
Dimples and pockmarks from hail
Scouring and lost ballast from the wind
Ponding and clogged drains from hurricane-driven rain
Immediately after a hurricane or any thunderstorm, your roof should be inspected and cleaned up. Leaving wind-blown debris that dropped onto your roof is just asking for trouble, as the next gust could drag it across your roof, tearing up the membrane or top layers of built-up roofing.
Ups and Downs
Temperature fluctuations are wide during the fall. While summer low temperatures typically hover at 74 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, according to U.S. Climate Data, fall’s low temperatures vary from 75 down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This much wider variation means materials on your roof are thermally stressed; they expand and contract with greater force than in the summer when they expand and stay that way.
Thermal expansion can cause elongated tears in roof membranes under mechanical fasteners. Flashing and other thin metal pieces can be deformed, too.
Clogs
Though Fort Lauderdale has more than its share of palms, many deciduous trees populate our streets and green spaces. Those leaves fall, of course, in the fall. This means rooftop clogs in internal drains and a long parapet scuppers. While your own facilities crew may be able to keep the drains clear of leaf and debris, only a commercial roofer with proper training can assess damage around those drains, to prevent water infiltration underneath the strainer or around the scupper.
Year-round, we hope you will feel free to contact us at PSI Roofing for expert advice on seasonal changes to your building’s roof. We are the commercial roofer Fort Lauderdale businesses trust.
