Roof wind damage can occur as a result of heavy rain or hail or from the force of the wind itself. At Gotcha Covered Contracting, we frequently see various types of storm damage to roofs, primarily in more exposed areas like the roof ridge, edges, and chimney.
How Does Wind Damage Occur?
Visible storm damage to a roof includes cracked and fallen tiles and punctures from storm debris. This type of roof wind damage is relatively apparent and less likely to be ignored.
Aside from storm debris, the pressure of the wind itself can have a detrimental effect on your roof. These effects are often hidden, leading to delays in repair work and, eventually, extensive damage to your home.
Although your roof may look like an even surface from a distance, it’s made up of many shingles or tiles. Each of these individual shingles has edges, allowing wind to blow underneath them and forcing them to lift and expose areas of weakness, also known as “lifting.” This can be more prevalent in vulnerable areas such as the ridge, edges, and chimney.
“Lifting” may cause the shingle itself to become cracked, broken or curled at the edges, which is quite easy to notice. Alternatively, the shingle itself may appear intact, and the damage is apparent underneath. The force of the lifting shingle may loosen roof nails and break the waterproof sealant beneath, potentially allowing water to enter your home.
Signs of roof wind damage to look out for include:
- Blocked or damaged gutters from debris wash off.
- Gutters pulling away from the wall due to excessive weight from debris wash off
- Damp patches appearing inside your home, in your attic or on your first-floor ceiling
- Damaged, torn or cracked flashing, particularly around the chimney or roof pipe vents
- Any sign of damp, decay or rust inside or outside your home
- Fallen shingles around the outside of your home
While performing a visual inspection of your home interior and your gutters may be easy enough from ground level, we don’t recommend climbing up onto the roof to check areas such as shingles and roof flashing because it is hazardous. This is a job for a professional who has the necessary training and equipment and knows what they’re looking for.
Act Fast!
The old proverb is right; a stitch in time saves nine. In this case, a roof repaired in time saves a full roof replacement!
While it may be tempting to ignore the one or two cracked or curled tiles on the roof, you shouldn’t. Each compromised tile becomes a weak spot for the weather to do further damage in the future. These weak spots will travel along your roof, increasing the damaged surface area and eventually leading to the need for a full roof replacement.
The good news is, if it’s only a small localized area of your roof that suffered roof wind damage, it can be repaired relatively easily by a professional, saving you time and money in the long run.
A fully insulated, watertight roof keeps your home warm, safe and reduces fuel costs, giving you peace of mind.
If you think your roof has experienced storm damage or if you are unsure about the watertight integrity of your roof, Gotcha Covered Contracting recommends you call a reputable local roofing contractor to come and assess the situation for you. This may save you time, money and headaches in the long term.
