Roof Shingles after snow: How long?

[Sealingwax]

My builder wants to shingle the roof of my home as soon as possible. Because of hte snowfall here in the East, the roof is covered with frost.

What does he have to wait for before installing the shingles? A dry spell? Long enough for the roof to bake out? Okay to install on damp roof? (just kidding)

Thanks.

[JWmHarmon]

The construction industry is considered a dangerous business because of frequent injuries and occasional deaths of those who are not careful enough.

The first danger in cold weather installation of roofing materials is the danger of slipping on ice on the roof. Falling off the roof can be deadly. I would walk away from a job where I was pressured to work on the roof before I was certain the surface was dry enough to work on safely. One slip-up here and you are dead. Does any more have to be said.

The second concern would be trapping moisture under the shingles. A little may evaporate, a lot could cause a problem.

The third concern is working with roofing materials in cold weather. Fiberglass/asphalt shingles tend to get brittle in cold weather leading to potential cracking of the shingle. One must be careful not to let them bend too much during installation to avoid undetected cracking that causes later problems.