Thermal Expansion & Contraction Damages

Just like the 1984 hit song from the movie Beverly Hills Cop, The Heat Is On.  With the summer heat upon us, the mercury levels are rising and most of us located across the United States are seeing high temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90’s, and some areas have/are approaching or breaking the 100°F mark.

Although being phased out due to medical issues with the toxicity, mercury has been used in thermometers since the early 1700s due to its relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion, expanding and rising with increasing temperatures and contracting and falling with decreasing temperatures. Just like mercury, many of the modern day building materials used in our houses and buildings are also subjected to thermal expansion. In the summertime, when ambient air temperatures are well below 100°F, it is possible for walls, roofs and cladding systems located on a west or south facing wall, exposed to the heat of the sun, to reach temperatures as high as 140°F.