New Roof

[Karen M]

I have had a new roof installed and will be having the exterior of the house painted next month. Can anyone confirm that I should not allow the painters to walk on the roof once it starts getting hotter during the day? I've been told that as the roof heats up from the sun it will become soft and if the painters are on it they will leave indentations on the roof and it will have to be replaced. karen

[John Willis]

The greater the pitch of the roof, the edges of composition shingles can be torn up by heavy foot traffic on hot days.
Runoff from high-pressure washing can also temporarily stain shingles.
If the painters can strategically lay plastic during the power wash and then drop cloths during the spraying (or cut-and-roll), it would help keep the paint drips and foot wear to a minimum.
The safety of the painters while they're on the roof is important, too.

Also, if you have new metal flashing, roof jacks, etc., it's good to make sure those surfaces are clean and wiped down with vinegar (it lightly etches the surface) before priming. The paint has a better chance of not peeling off within the first year.

[pushkins]

If your roof and roof sheathing material are of a good quality then there is nothing to worry about with the painters light foot traffic, it's not like 20 guys will walk on the same path 100 times a day for 2 weeks. If your a little worried then maybe ask them to move their ladders to a different area of the roof each day, that way they are not walking over the same shingles.