How April showers (and flurries) are damaging your roof

Just 72 hours ago, we were basking in 70 degree weather, dusting off our jorts and celebrating that it was finally a nice enough day to get outside and get a head start on our summer farmer's tans.
Fast forward to Monday, everyone here at our corporate office may as well have their own personal rain clouds. We feel blindsided; but sadly a 30-degree temp drop is just another day in Ohio.
While this weather is not only taxing on our sanity...it truly takes a toll on the health of your shingles! Below you'll find the top 5 weather patterns that negatively affect the longevity of your roof. Have a look while we crank up the space heaters. 

I. Hail
Hail damage is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of natural disasters that affect the roof. Hail is exceptionally problematic because of its unpredictability. The diameter of a hail stone can vary throughout the life of any given storm. The velocity at which it hits your roof depends on a number of factors-the main one being something as fickle as the wind. The impact of the hail hitting your roof depends on the steepness of your roof's pitch. As seen below, the steeper the pitch, (House B), the lighter the impact. 













II. Wind
Even a thunderstorm that rolls in without hail can still be detrimental to the life of your roof. Roofs are designed to withstand standard winds, however this doesn't necessarily guarantee it'll withstand the debris that the high winds may be picking up with it. Shingles can become loose and fly away with the wind, which will more easily expose your roof to the elements. 

III. Snow
We really hope to stop talking about this dirty 4-letter word soon but while the temps have dropped again, snow can be extremely taxing on the life of your roof. As may of us know from shoveling driveways for the past 6 months, snow is quite heavy in mass quantities. USA Today calculated that snow can weigh as much as 21 pounds per square foot with ice weighing almost 3x as much.
Since most of us do not take the time to shovel our roofs, it sits, accumulates and melts-a number of time throughout a season, which can cause your doors to jam, ceilings to sag and a whole mess of other issues. 
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IV. Rain
While rain itself may not have an immediate affect on your roof like hail or high winds, it can add moisture which can be harmful to your roof and also be an incubator for dangerous mold spores. 

The bottom line is that all of the above can be unpredictable, so proactively taking the steps to be prepared is key. Make sure you are checking your roof once the clouds clear-no need to get up there-most damage can be seen with a pair of binoculars.

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