Yeah, humidity definitely factors in. I've noticed on really muggy days, the welders seem to struggle more—something about moisture affecting the weld quality. One crew told me they had to slow down and double-check seams more often when it's humid. Temperature's a biggie, but humidity can quietly complicate things too... seems like mornings are usually best for both reasons.
I've noticed that too, mornings usually go smoother. Last week we had a super humid afternoon, and the welder kept acting up. At first I thought maybe it was just overheating, but now thinking back, moisture probably played a role too. Had to redo a couple seams because they just weren't sealing right... kinda frustrating when you're already sweating buckets. Guess I'll pay more attention to weather conditions next time around.
Interesting, hadn't really thought about humidity being a factor before. Do you think it's mostly moisture causing issues, or could the heat itself be pushing the welder beyond its limits? I've noticed my equipment gets pretty finicky once temps hit mid-90s, especially if it's been running a while. Makes me wonder if there's a sweet spot temperature-wise for welding TPO roofing.
Also curious—do you guys adjust your welder settings much based on weather conditions? Like, do you dial back the heat slightly when it's super hot outside, or just keep things consistent and hope for the best? I'm pretty budget-conscious (aka cheap), so I'd rather not waste material redoing seams if I can help it.
Had a similar experience last summer when I was patching up my garage roof. It was scorching hot, and I figured I'd just power through it. Big mistake... ended up with seams that looked good at first but started peeling after a couple months. Learned my lesson there—now I try to tackle any welding early in the morning or wait until things cool off a bit later in the day.
Makes me wonder though... is there an actual temperature threshold recommended by manufacturers, or is it more of a trial-and-error thing based on experience? Would be nice to have some guidelines rather than guessing every time.
Manufacturer specs usually give a pretty broad range, but I've noticed anything above 90°F can get tricky fast. Heat buildup in the welder itself might be a bigger issue than ambient temps... have you checked if your equipment has recommended cooldown intervals?
Yeah, good point about the welder itself heating up. I've seen guys push through on hot days without breaks, and their weld quality definitely suffers after a while. Even if ambient temps aren't crazy high, equipment can still overheat if you're running it nonstop. I usually suggest short breaks every hour or so—grab some water, let the gear cool down a bit. Makes a noticeable difference in weld consistency and saves headaches later on... learned that one the hard way myself.