It’s important to evaluate your property’s damage during a storm, including your roof. Particularly towards the edges of the roof, where the slope or face of the roof meets the fascia or soffit, strong winds can cause shingles to become loose or even fall off. If moisture penetrates lifted or missing shingles and impacts the roof deck below, it may cause leaks (and eventually rot).
Here are some tips on how to spot wind-damaged shingles and how to repair them.
How to Determine If Your Shingles Have Wind Damage
After a storm, look for shingle damage in the vicinity of your house and yard. The following indications can be seen when visually inspecting your roof and other areas:
Loose or Curling Shingles
The edge of the roof is particularly vulnerable to wind damage. As a warning sign of loosened shingles, look for elevated shingles and creases in the tabs.
Lack of Shingles
Look for missing shingles in your yard and on the ground. Next, take a look at the roof from the ground. Since they can safely reach your roof and do a closer check, think about hiring a professional roofer.
Soffits and fascia are damaged.
Look for any soffit or fascia damage at the roof’s edge brought on by blown-in debris or water intrusion. Even while these might not appear to be serious issues, ignoring damage can result in issues later on.
Flashing Failure and Other Penetrations near the Chimney
Flashing, the material that surrounds the penetrations in your roof, needs to be repaired or replaced if it is raised, damaged, or missing. If not stopped, more harm might happen.
Interior Surfaces with Water Damage
Shingle damage could also be visible inside your house, particularly if the roof deck has been soaked by water. Look for discoloration, damp spots, flaking paint, or water leaks on interior surfaces.
Examples of Shingles With Wind Damage
Tearing. The tab is no longer attached to the shingle.
Puncture. The shingle has been damaged by flying debris.
Removal. The roof deck has been cleared of the shingle.
How to Repair Shingles Damaged by Wind
Your homeowner’s insurance policy might pay for the repair of broken shingles or other wind-related roofing difficulties. After a wind or storm event that has damaged your roof, the first thing you should do is call your insurance provider to make sure you are covered. Then, ask the insurance provider whether an adjuster can come look at your roof. It’s best to double-check even though it’s not always the case that they’ll send someone in person. If the costs of the damage are covered by your insurance, you might only be liable for your deductible and not the full cost of the repair. One essential reminder: before any cleanup or repair work is done, make sure you have images of the damage (given by the adjuster or by a roofing contractor) so you have proof to support your claim.
You are now prepared to give your roofing contractor the go-ahead to start repairs once these bases have been covered. Along with fixing broken shingles, you should make sure the roofer also checks the roof deck for water infiltration since, if the damage has spread that far, you might need to replace the roof deck before you can install new (or fix old) shingles. As shingles that have been severely wind-damaged cannot efficiently protect the roof deck if they are wrinkled or loose, they must be removed and replaced. A roofing adhesive can be used to secure curled shingles. The latter repair is often done by roofing specialists in warmer climates because too-cold temperatures can cause shingles to crack or shatter.
In most cases, damaged shingles may be replaced with new ones, but serious damage may necessitate a complete roof replacement. A qualified roofing contractor will be able to assess the scope of the job and provide you with a cost estimate.
Prevent future damage to your roof
Installing shingles with a robust wind warranty, like GAF Timberline HDZ® Shingles, which are covered by the GAF WindProvenTM Limited Wind Warranty*, is a wonderful method to prevent wind damage to your home’s roof. The fact that this wind warranty does not have a maximum wind speed limit for coverage is a first for the roofing industry. However, this is only true when the eligible shingles are fitted with the appropriate combination of four qualified GAF accessory items.