You should protect your home’s roof from Phoenix winter rain

There’s no two ways about it: this year’s winter has been dry. There’s no rain in the forecast through the rest of January. However, some meteorologists believe that we may be having a late Phoenix winter rain season. If that’s the case, your bone-dry roof is about to get rocked with moisture. Is your roof ready?

One of the challenges roofs here in the Valley face is that prolonged drought conditions often allow the roofing materials (both tile, shingle, or the underlayment beneath them) to deteriorate, but there’s no rain to signal that there’s a developing problem. Then, a severe storm comes through and, suddenly, there’s rain in your kitchen. (Something we discussed with summer monsoons!)

In Arizona, we put our roofs through a lot; just standing up to 365 days of intense UV radiation is more than most roofs have to endure. If it’s been a while, contact KY-KO Roofing for your free roof checkup. Our roofers can check out your roof and let you know if there’s any damage or other problems.

Roofing problems that Phoenix winter rain exposes

Here are some common things that go wrong with Valley roofs when winter rains arrive:

1. Cracked tiles, exposed underlayment, big trouble

Cracked tiles may not seem like a big deal, but they expose the more-delicate underlayment beneath them to intense UV radiation and—when the rains arrive—moisture. With a tile roof, the tiles are the armor: if pierced, there’s only soft underbelly beneath. Repairing broken tiles is important.

For most roofs, tiles are laid in such a way to act as a mechanism for clearing water from the roof as quickly as possible, with the help of gravity. Cracked tiles break this chain, making it more difficult to get rid of standing water on your roof.

At its worst, the combination of cracked roof tiles and a damaged underlayment is a roof leak into your attic and living spaces. Not ideal!

2. Poorly maintained gutters

Having well-maintained gutters is necessary to keep your roof in its best condition when Phoenix winter rains arrive. Gutters prevent water from piling up on your roof, and helps roofs (particularly, non-tile roofs) move water quickly down to the ground.

Pigeon nests, leaf litter, and more can dam gutters, causing water to backup and pool. This breaks the whole water removal system, and puts your roof in danger.

Call KY-KO Roofing for your free roof checkup this winter

If you are looking for an expert advice on how to keep your roof safe from damage when the rains arrive, call KY-KO. Our roofers are industry-trained professionals who know the warning signs of roof problems, and how to fix them. We’ll help you determine just how safe your roof is from the winter rains and the coming summer heat.