From paving to roofing, here are some summer jobs no one wants. Except these phew.

GREENSBORO — She's a pavin' maven.

A mother of three young children, 31-year-old Megan Lawson said she's never loved a job more than laying asphalt — ranked as a scorcher of a job in the summer heat.

On Wednesday, when temps topped 96 in the Triad, making it the hottest day of the year yet, Lawson suited up in a protective suit, boots, gloves and facemask that held heat and humidity close to her petite frame. "You feel like you can't breathe,'' said the seven-year veteran of the job.

"We have to cover ourselves when we put down sealant,'' she said of the caustic liquid she and her crew from Yellow Dawg Asphalt sprayed over a hot blacktop parking lot on Chimney Rock Road in Greensboro.

A surface of asphalt, which is sticky black semi-liquid petroleum byproduct and crushed rock, can reach about 150 degrees in 95-degree heat, work safety experts calculate. And shade is a rare treat for asphalt workers like Lawson and her husband Oliver Hernandez, who typically cover expanses cleared of trees.

Things really heat up when it's time to lay fresh asphalt, though, Lawson said, because it means spreading 275-325-degree ooze on an already hot surface. That heat level is enough to roast a beef tenderloin.

"And when you're laying asphalt, you're trying to get the work done as fast as you can before it hardens,'' said Lawson, who describes herself as feisty and bound to prove she's as strong as the male crew members. "You don't really get the chance to chug a lot of water. There's no walking slow ... It's a fast pace."

Hydrating yourself must become a habit for high heat workers, Lawson and doctors agree.

"I like to get things done and it used to be very hard for me to stop and take breaks,'' Lawson said. "I wanted to be done and get home to my three kids,'' said the Walnut Cove native whose says the blacktop business can test your limits.

"I had to make myself stop for breaks. There've been times when I would feel dizzy, especially if I was bent down. I've had times when I felt like I was going to pass out, and I have to sit down and drink water,'' said Lawson, whose team of three glugs a 24-pack of bottled water daily.

And doctors recommend water over sports drinks to replenish the body's fluids.

While electrolyte-replacing fluids can help someone who has over exerted, water is the best option for regular hydration because it is free of sugar and artificial color found in sports drinks, plus it's universally available and usually free.

Two Triad roofing companies said their crews rely heavily on water.

"Our guys usually carry a big tub of water that's room temperature, because it doesn't shock the body like ice cold water would,'' said Tony Martinez, branch manager of Big Bear Roofing Co. in Greensboro.

Shade breaks and snacks with plenty of salt and sugar are also key for his workers who walk and kneel on asphalt shingles that heat to 125-160 degrees, depending on the sun's intensity, Martinez said.

For example on a 75-degree day, a roof can measure roughly 125 degrees.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends breaks every 20 minutes for water intake even when workers are not thirsty.

"The thirsty feeling people get is a late sign that you're behind in your hydration,'' cautioned Dr. Michael Fitch, an emergency medicine physician at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist hospital and a professor of emergency medicine at Wake Forest University's Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education in Winston-Salem.

Preparing for heat is critical in order to prevent health emergencies, Fitch said. "Listen to your body, take plenty of rest breaks in the shade, and taking breaks in air-conditioning is a really important way of cooling off the body. Light-colored clothing and garments that protect you from sunburn are also ideal, Fitch said.

Signs of heat-related illness can include: muscle cramps, lack of sweat, headache, pale appearance, confusion, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and seizures.

While roofers and asphalt workers are very high on the list of workers most susceptible to heat stress and heat stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health, plenty of other professions are hindered by heat.

Firefighters, construction workers, bakery workers, farmers, construction workers, welders and even outdoor costumed performers are among laborers who most often languish in the hottest conditions, research shows.

While it may sound counter-intuitive, roofing veteran Ryan Puckett of Stokesdale said, "all of our guys wear long-sleeve shirts with hoods'' — a method that helps hold sweat against the skin and promotes evaporative cooling, experts say.

Long sleeves further protect roofers from skin cancer risk, said Puckett, operations manager for Skywalker Roofing Co. locations across the Triad.

Heat is so intense on rooftops, where workers tote tar buckets and brandish blow torches, that roofers must kneel in long pants on thick foam rubber to keep from burning their legs, Puckett said. Shade and water breaks are a must, he said, noting several workers drink high-electrolyte-filled Pedialyte or Gatorade, in addition to their water.

Breaks under shade trees, plenty of water and early starts are critical in this dawn-to-dark job, Puckett said.

The hats of choice for roofers are wide-brimmed straw hats and big bucket hats with drapes that extend from the back to cover the neck, roofers said.

While their work may not seem as serious as other high heat professions, mascots contend with torrid temperatures.

The interior of costumes, such as those worn by college sports mascots and Triad favorites Guilly, the pirate grasshopper mascot of Greensboro's Grasshoppers baseball team, and Bolt, the furry crimson bear-dog mascot for the Winston-Salem Dash baseball team, can reach about 140 degrees on very hot days, according to the National Mascot Association. For reference, a chicken cooked for 30 minutes at 140 is considered done.

Many mascots beat that heat by wearing so-called "cooling vests'' that circulate cool water and feature ice pack-filled pockets. You can purchase these handy accoutrements online for between $50-$200. Some costumes even feature small fans inside the heads to cool faces.

****

It's cool to be a clown, but clowning's not exactly cool, said Timothy Neal of Greensboro, who portrays Tyca the Clown at Triad area parties and reunions.

Preserving his mystique is important to Neal, who entertains children and adults alike with balloon characters, magic tricks and piñata and limbo games, the 63-year-old said. And that means taking care of himself.

"It's important that I stay hydrated for my health and for patrons and kids who are depending on me. I never want to let them down,'' said Neal, whose been clowning around the Triad since 2008.

"I carry frozen bottles of water and red or orange Gatorade and take breaks throughout my shows, which usually run about one hour.''

A rainbow polyester wig tops Tyca's head and he transforms his face with theatrical pancake makeup and lots of setting powder.

"It's mainly the humidity,'' he said. "Once it gets in the low 80s and 90s, if I'm not hydrated, you see the makeup smear.''

Seasonal zoot suiting helps Neal stay cool, too, he said.

"I have a winter and a summer costume,'' Neal said. "My summer costume is cotton,'' he said of the breathable fiber. Summer also means taking off his gloves.

****

Diet might be one of the most critical ways Lawson prepares for her days in asphalt work.

"I try to eat well and to eat plenty of protein,'' she said, explaining junk food won't sustain her through hot toil.

Good nutrition is also important to clown Neal, he said of gigs that have him burning plenty of calories in peak heat.

This week, Neal entertained at two parties on one day and a four-hour festival in 93-degree heat.

"It's definitely been hot, but we made it through.'' he said.