Summer Heat Means Hydrate

Roofing in the heat can be really challenging, don't forget to hydrate.

Exerting one's self like hard work done up on a roof requires hydration, especially in the hot humid summer. We professional roofers understand this and we come prepared every day with our clean fresh cool water and lots of it. Having one partner and myself on the roof for an eight-hour day in the heart of Sacramento, California, we could just about drink a 5-gallon Igloo bucket filled with ice and water. The interesting thing was I rarely ran out. Hard to believe but having plenty of water is an important thing to have since roofers are subject to dehydration that causes heat stress and potential health hazards. To show the importance to us, it was very irritating when another worker asks to drink from your supply of water because it left less for us.

As a do-it-yourselfer, you may not take this seriously, but we professionals do. Dehydration will affect your productivity, can make you sick, dizzy and even cause death. Being dizzy up on the roof is not a good thing.

Having access to clean cool drinking water is a must but, hydration, before you are thirsty, helps since you must have enough fluid in your body in the first place. As your body heats up from working in the sun it naturally uses sweat glands to release sweat on your skin and as your blood circulates near the surface of the skin it cools down the body by evaporation. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists suggests that prolonged sweating can disturb normal cardiovascular functions. So take a few more breaks in extreme heat conditions. Get off the roof, sit down and let your body rest for a few minutes. We used to take this time to have a slice of watermelon or some sort of fruit while on a short break. Take as many breaks as you need to cool down.

OSHA says drink water is one of the top ten ways to stay cool in hot working conditions. Not beer, soda or tea. . . . but water. Drink about 7 ounces every 15 – 20 minutes and this will keep a regulated supply of water in your system to keep your body cool. If you feel dizzy, feel tired and not alert it is time to take a break under a shady tree. We roofers get used to this type of heat and deal with it many ways but you as home-owners may not understand what your body is telling you. Be careful up on the roof especially in the hot humid days. Keep Hydrated and you will be healthier, more productive and safer on the roof.

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