High winds have the capability to cause serious damage to your roof. Whether by ripping off shingles entirely, or simply lifting them, winds can comprise your roof’s integrity. As a homeowner, what can you do to mitigate the damaging effects of wind? Let’s find out!
Prioritize Your Safety
Professionals know the exact steps to take in order to remain safe in dangerous situations. While you may not have any problems getting on your roof, this is not the case for many. Please use caution whenever attempting to determine whether your roof has damage that needs fixing.
What is Wind Doing to Your Roof?
Aside from blown and lifted roofing materials, windy weather will often cause many different forms of damage. While checking the ground for shingles is easy, there are some other less-than-obvious signs of wind damage to a roof. These can include: indoor leaks, roof punctures, curling shingles, problems with flashing, soffit or fascia damage or divots in shingle granules.
Shingle Curling
During a windstorm, the edges of your roof will experience the most damage. Given enough exposure to high winds, shingles will begin to loosen and lift. If left untreated, this can continue until your edge shingles start allowing water through. Also, wind and rain can compromise the edges of your shingles, causing them to curl. If they are allowed to deteriorate too much, they will fail to resist water entirely!
Check For Shingle Granules
Tree branches, hail and rain are just a few of the things highs winds can blow onto your roof. When they make impact with enough force, your roof is at risk of a puncture. Even if there isn’t a puncture, divots can be created that continue to erode if left unchecked.
Granule loss may seem like a minor problem, but it has the potential to compromise your entire roof. Granules are there for a reason, and shingles may not be able to keep water out without them.
Damage to Your Soffit & Fascia
Much the same as gutters, soffit and fascia are vital elements that work to protect your roof. In the worst case, high winds will blow panels and metal off your roof entirely. However, it’s even more common for winds to cause loosening, cracking or bending. This can have similar implications, allowing water to penetrate, especially if given enough time.
Interior Leaks
Ceiling discoloration is one of the clearest signs to look for to identify roof damage. If your ceiling is leaking or discolored after a storm, you should promptly check for roof damage. Professional roofers know all too well that a roof leak will rarely originate where it shows up inside. It’s common for water to run along the rafters and emerge somewhere many feet away from the actual source of the problem.
What Next?
Think you may have sustained some roof damage after a windstorm? Get in touch with a professional as soon as possible for an inspection! The more you wait to take care of the damage, the worse it is likely to become. Avoid unnecessary repair costs and contact a professional!
