For a number of reasons, in the Midwest, the best time to replace your commercial roofing system is in spring.
First and foremost, spring weather offers the most ideal temperatures for roofing and construction. No worries about below freezing temperatures or extreme summer heat. Avoiding temperature extremes is the safest and surest way to assure proper installation and performance of most roofing materials. Moderate temperatures also allow contractors to work at a faster pace and a lot more comfortably than if they are dealing with extreme temperatures.
Second, roofing contractors are emerging from the downtime of winter and are often less busy than in the summer and fall. It’s best to avoid the backlog of jobs that typically come during a roofer’s busiest time of the year (late summer and fall).
Third, because large commercial roofing projects naturally have a longer life cycle than smaller roof replacements, it is wise to build in extra time up front. Lead time includes professional on-site evaluation, bidding, design, contract, plan and scheduling.
Sometimes the building itself poses logistical challenges that lead to increased installation time. Schena Roofing in Detroit, MI gives an example involving the historic Guardian Building. The project was to tear off and replace the existing roof. The challenge: a crane for this 400+ foot tall building was not an option. Instead, Schena Roofing had to bring up all materials in a freight elevator as well as haul all tear-off debris down this same elevator. To see the full Guardian Building story, click here.
Finally, if a large scale roofing project is scheduled too late in the season, depending on our unpredictable Michigan weather, there’s a chance the project may not be able to be completed until the following year.
