Some forms of wind damage are really obvious – such as when you’re looking up and see blue sky because a large section of the roof is missing, or when there’s a giant tree laying across the top of your house. Other forms of roof damage aren’t as obvious, but they undermine the structural integrity of the roof. In these cases, you will eventually need to fix some areas, or replace the entire roof. The longer you wait to address subtle leaks and compromised structural elements, the bigger the final bill will be, and the more damage that will be done along the way. Here is a primer on how to spot roof wind damage.
Check the Shingles for Wind Damage
Normal wear and tear on a roof could take the form of asphalt granules coming loose from your roofing shingles or a large number of your shingles starting to curl up at the corners. When your shingles have lost their granules or they are starting to curl up, they’re no longer able to protect the sub-surface of your roof. That may mean that the entire roof surface needs to be replaced, but it doesn’t indicate significant structural roof damage. If a lot of the shingles are missing altogether, that’s a sign of wind damage. Where patches of shingles are missing, water is able to get down to the surface of the roof, and damage will begin to take shape. The sudden appearance of granules in your gutters and downspouts also indicates the roof is damaged and/or wearing out.
If there are horizontal lines one to two inches across beneath the shingles that are missing, this suggests the shingles on top are flapping in the wind hard enough to wear out the underlying shingles. In this case, you’ll need to have the roof repaired, though it may be enough to apply new adhesive to the shingles to hold them in place. Your roof could also be experiencing “lifting” shingles. In these cases, the shingles look intact from the ground, but loose shingles combined with high winds causes the shingles to lift up, letting water underneath. This will make the nails holding them down loose, as well. In either case, the sooner you address the problem, the less roof damage you will have, and the more likely it is that you’re dealing with a roof repair and not a roof replacement.
What if you don’t have asphalt roof shingles on your roof? Crumbling roofing cement, a decaying fascia and splitting or curling wood shingles are signs your roof has suffered damage or is slowly degrading, too. Missing wood shingles are a sign of wind damage, while rotting ones indicate water leaks that could have a variety of causes. (Mold, mildew and fungus under the shingles may be made worse by water blown under them, but that’s more an indicator of the roof’s poor overall condition than wind damage.)
There Are Quite a Few Things on the Roof (That Don’t Belong There)
Significant winds will blow things up on the roof. Piles of leaves should be scraped off the roof, but that’s not a problem in and of itself unless they’re clogging your gutters. It is heavier debris like tree branches and shards of glass piling up on the roof that create problems. For example, a heavy tree branch blowing around on the roof can cut into the shingles and can eventually damage the roof membrane. Multiple tree branches or a single large one will put so much weight on the roof that it may simply collapse, too. Once you realize you’re dealing with a problem related to roof debris, you’ll want to start trimming back the trees around your house. Or you’ll need to patch the holes in the roof to stop the water leak you’ve discovered because the debris has already breached the roof membrane. Don’t wait until your roof is leaking – take care of the problem as soon as possible.
If you aren’t sure if the roof membrane has been pierced, go up into the attic and look for leaks. If there are damp spots in the insulation or dripping water, call a roofer to get it repaired as soon as possible.
The Major Structural Elements of the Roof Are Damaged
Roof flashing exists to seal the gaps in the roof membrane and keep water out. If the flashing has tears or is buckling, your roof has suffered major wind damage and needs to be repaired. Chimney flashing is particularly prone to tearing loose because the chimney stands separate from the rest of the house. A major red flag is if you see damaged flashing plus missing bricks or cracked joints. Split flashing is another warning sign of wind damage to your roof.
If you have a flat roof, blisters, cracks, tears and wrinkles indicate problems that need to be addressed. Bent or sagging gutters could be due to wind damage, too. Missing sections of gutter or missing downspouts might have been lost in the last storm or rusted away, but they need to be replaced and repaired, too. (Healthy gutters are a major contributor to extending the life of your roof.)
If the shingles around structural elements like ridge vents and soffits are curling or missing, that’s not wind damage but it does indicate possible water leaks and roof damage.
Whatever symptoms you notice when you look up at your roof, we can help. For Cincinnati roofing assistance, contact Harper Siding and Roofing today!