How heavy wind can damage your roof
High Winds & Shingle Roofing
The wind is wonderful for sailors, energy turbines and dramatic hair blowing photos, but for your roof, not so much. Now your every day 10 - 15 mph wind gusts aren’t going to do damage but wind gusts in excess of 70 mph could cause some serious issues.
Above is a photo of a home that was damaged by streamlined winds that hit Troy Ohio January 11, 2020 late in the evening. As you can see the roofing, aluminum siding and brick chimney have been damaged. This is an obvious and extreme case of wind damage that needs to be handled immediately. There is not much you can do to prevent your home from wind of this magnitude. Your best approach is to make sure the contractor you choose is installing quality materials according to the specifications of your materials.
Common types of damage
The most common types of roof damage to shingle roofing are shingles that have been lifted or pulled completely free from the roof. Broken and lifted shingles can be seen from the ground in most cases which would need immediate attention. This type of damage could make your roof more vulnerable to leaks.
Now there are some instances when your roofing might be exposed to heavy winds and appear to have settled in after the storm has passed. Now there is a good chance that your shingles may have lifted and just fell back down. If this has happened, your shingle integrity has been compromised. You need to consider to issues you might be facing:
The nails holding your shingles may have loosened, which lessens the roof’s ability to remain watertight and its ability to resist high winds in the future.
Shingles normally have adhesive strips or sealant between each layer so that each shingle seals to the one underneath it. High winds can break this seal. Like loosened roofing nails, this makes your roof less wind and water resistant.
How to prevent wind damage
It is important that you or your contractor use a high quality shingle product for your roofing install. A few great roofing material manufacturers we use are GAF, Certainteed & Owens Corning. Even great shingle materials can be faulty if the install is not done correctly. It is important you hire a contractor who understands the appropriate roofing system for your project. A bad install will surely fail during event the most modest of wind storms.
There are a few things you should expect your contractor to do when inspecting your roofing system.
Notify you if the roof deck is weak or rotted because this lessens the deck’s ability to hold roofing nails.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for shingle placement. Using an incorrect placement pattern may make the roof more prone to wind damage, and it may also void the manufacturer’s warranty.
Ensure that roofing nails are driven properly. The heads of each nail should make contact with the shingle without pressing into the hingle. Nails that are driven in at an angle or driven in too far will damage the shingle, while nails that aren’t driven far enough will allow the shingles to work loose over time.
If you do have wind damage
If you believe your property has been damaged by wind call Reformation GC to schedule a free assessment of your property. If there is minor damage that could be easily repaired, your Reformation GC sales representative will provide a fair price to fix the problem. If the issue is extensive enough to file a claim, call your insurance company catastrophe center to file a homeowners claim. Your Reformation GC sales representative can walk you through the entire process. For a deeper dive into the claim filing process click here. If your damage requires immediate protection, Reformation GC will tarp the exposed area.