Has Your Columbus Home Suffered Wind Damage to Your Roof?

February and March tend to be a very windy month across the entire country. Temperatures fluctuate greatly as we bid farewell to winter and welcome the warmer spring temperatures. As warm and cold temperatures grapple throughout March, windy conditions are quite common until April ushers in more moderate weather. Often overlooked, high winds can be pretty harsh on roofs and can even result in damaged or missing roof components.

High winds can cause damage to your roof, even without hail or other harmful weather.

There are several types of damage high winds can cause to your roof, including leaks, missing shingles, and gutter problems.

Shingles roofs especially take a beating during high winds, despite most being rated to withstand 90 mph winds. Damage to your roof can begin at around 50 mph, so you should know how to check your roof for such damage.

What Is Wind Damage?

High winds do not hit your roof evenly across the surface. The corners, the edges of the roof, and the ridge line are especially susceptible to damage from high winds.

The wind can get under a corner or small piece of the shingle and curl it, or rip it off completely. This can leave your roof exposed in those areas, leading to leaks.

Another danger of high winds to your roof is “lifting.” While the shingles may look intact from the ground, high winds coming up over a roof can create a suction effect and “lift” the shingles upwards, loosening the nails which are holding them down.

When the shingles lift, the sealant between each layer can be broken, leading to leaks.

Additionally, high winds can blow debris around and cause trees and limbs to fall on your roof. Falling limbs can puncture the roof, or destroy your shingles, so be sure to cut down any trees which are overhanging your roof before any storms or high winds hit.

The debris that is blown around by the wind (branches, garbage, deck furniture, lawn decorations, etc.) can often be more damaging to your roof than the wind itself.

When wind damage is present, it usually occurs either after a major high wind event, such as a tornado or hurricane, or in areas where wind is common and can break down roofing materials over time. If a severe storm has hit your area, entire sections of shingle or underlayment could have flown off with the wind. This type of damage is fairly easy to recognize. However to spot damage that has occurred over time, you’ll probably notice that the center of the roof will have less stress than the edges or corners of the roof where higher pressure is exerted. Curling or randomly missing shingles is common. It’s also important to examine the eaves for signs of loose materials or compromised areas of the roof deck.

Also common with wind damage is flying debris that can strike the roof and leave pock marks upon impact. Fallen tree limbs and broken branches are the most common debris to cause substantial damage so trimming back any trees close to your roof is an important preventative measure. If any areas of your roof appear to be weakened due to wind, get a professional out to take a look right away. Preventing further damage or water leakage is crucial to maintaining your property and often times your insurance policy will help cover the cost of restoration.

If you suspect that your roof may have fallen victim to some of the latest high winds we’ve seen, don’t hesitate to give us a call and we’ll come out and offer you a FREE assessment. Call or Contact Us today!