Effects of extreme cold on built up roofs

Extreme winter temperatures bring unique issues with built up asphalt roofs, including cracks and splits that show up after a night of extreme cold.

THE PROBLEM.  Extreme cold temperatures cause asphalt to dry out and shrink.  When this happens the asphalt cracks the same way lips or skin do when dry and cold.  The most common way of fixing these cracks is with a three course asphalt repair.  Beware that three course patches fix only the symptoms of the problem, just as cracked hands are not healed by putting on gloves.  In order to fix the cause of the problem, moisture must be replaced with a resaturant, similar to putting lotion on dry and cracked hands.  Omitting this crucial step will guarantee that the crack will continue beneath the repair and show up again later.

THE SOLUTION.  Make it a point to ensure that any workers performing repairs on your roof after extreme weather include a resaturant (like Karnak 198).  The three course repair should consist of resaturant, asphalt fabric, and then a top coat of a quality asphalt.  If any asphalt repairs do not include resaturant, you are receiving an inferior repair that will require more attention, and expense, in the near future.