What is Wind Damage?
Wind damage to your home can be the cause of any kind of incremental weather that has caused damage to your home in one way or another. The average home can usually withstand about 100 miles per hour of wind without being completely destroyed while still taking a considerable amount of damage. Damaging winds are considered anywhere above 60 mph. These types of winds can wreak havoc and cause concern for many components of your home including your roof, windows, siding, gutters as well as your home’s foundation and structural integrity.
Signs of Wind Damage to Shingles
Roof Damage from wind is considered the most likely to occur even with slower winds. If 40-90 mph winds are considered normal in your area, your roof will show signs of damage overtime including lifting, curling, damaged shingles, missing shingles, tilting chimney, soffit and fascia damage, granule loss as well as leaks that occur due to missing or damaged shingles. Because wind doesn’t hit the entire roof uniformly, edges and peaks and already loose shingles are the most susceptible to missing and damaged shingles. Also taking into consideration of trees and other objects around your yard, the edges and peaks are more likely to sustain damage of fallen debris.
Missing & Damaged Shingles
Wind damage to roof shingles will usually cause the shingles to fly off your roof or damage them greatly. You will find them throughout your yard. If you do find missing or broken shingles on your roof, you will want to call a professional roofer to gauge the issues and come to a solution. If your roof is new then a simple repair could be plausible, but if your roof is getting to the end of its lifespan then it may need removal and replacement solution.
Lifting & Curling
Your roofing shingles make it so rainwater does not seep through to the underlayment or decking. If your shingles appear out of place, loose or are curling, then this is a good sign of wind damage. Usually this happens at stressful points and should be handled by a professional roofing company.
Soffit & Fascia Damage
Your soffit and fascia are responsible for keeping rainwater away from your home and foundation. When these essentials of your roof crack, become loose or completely blow off due to wind you’re opening your home to the chance of a leak. Have a professional roofer come out and assess the situation and see if the soffit or fascia can be repaired.
Granule Loss
Granule loss happens when the sandpaper like shingles is hit by either hale or wind. The best place to look for granule loss is in your gutters. You will find fine pieces of your roof in your gutters. The granules on your shingles are a good way to tell the age of the roof and increasing the rate of granule loss may age your roof quicker.
Leaking
Leaks can be hard to find. But over time the leaks can be found throughout your home. You can look at the ceilings and the walls. If you notice any staining or any bubbling, then it will be obvious that you have a leak in your roof. We have an entire article on how leaks happen and how to find them.
Tilting Chimney
Another way you may notice that your roof is showing signs of wind damage is by looking at your chimney. Because your chimney sticks out like a sore thumb, it can be extremely vulnerable to being damaged by high winds. High winds apply so much pressure to your chimney that it could make it tilt. Once your chimney starts to tilt, flashing will inevitably break and allow rainwater to seep through and cause possible water damage if not taken care of immediately.
Wind Damage to Roof Shingles from Debris & Fallen Trees
Windthrow refers to trees that were blown over with the roots still attached. On the other hand, there is also a term called wind snap. Wind snap is when a tree falls, and the roots stay in place and the tree falls at the trunk. Blowdown trees can be detrimental to your home especially for those living in states home to the biggest trees including redwoods, mountain ash, Douglas firs, sequoias etc. If these types of trees, with the help of heavy winds, do cause a blowdown, then they can have some serious consequences for your home. They can impact the structural integrity of your home and cause significant damage, but they may even cause some minor damage.
What we recommend is have a professional arborist or someone from your insurance company come out and evaluate your property for risk of fallen trees. Overgrown or awkwardly grown trees should be taken care of by an arborist before a worst-case scenario happens and cost you thousands of dollars in property damage that your home insurance company may or may not cover.
Wind Damage to Roof Insurance Claims
Insurance companies may include coverage of fallen trees that have impacted your home and caused severe damage. How insurance companies work is that they will assess your property for risk of fallen trees. If they feel that your home has a strong risk of falling trees then it will be covered by insurance, but you will need to pay a more expensive premium if you do decide to keep the trees around your home.
For damage that was done and did not involve any debris or fallen trees. Homeowners insurance usually covers any kind of wind damage to roofing shingles and any other kind of inclement weather. There has been some instances of insurance companies not covering wind damage because of a bad installation.
Therefore, it is essential to have a reputable and highly professional roofer install your new roof. In order to find the best home improvement company for your home the right questions for them will be essential for a successful home improvement project. We have created a list of 9 questions to ask your home improvement contractor, DaBella has been in business for over 11 years and has completed thousands of home improvement jobs with trained installers and top tier warranties that will keep you protected for a lifetime.
Repairing Wind Damaged Shingles
DIY repair jobs on your roof are more than possible, especially so if you are more handy with tools. A minor patch job can sometimes be an easy fix but anything bigger or more problematic should be done by a reputable roofer that does repair jobs.
Starting the repair process should be done as soon as possible to reduce the risk of leaking or other shingles to tear off. Firstly, to prevent any further damage, you will need tarps or plywood that are weighed down so that they do not fly off in another windstorm. If there is any damage it is good to get a professional roofer out to your home to assess the damage and give an estimate of repair.
You may also want to consider the age of your roof. If your shingled roof is over 20-25 years old, then you may want to weigh the costs of a repair and a full replacement of your roof. If your roof is considered still relatively new and in good condition, then a simple repair may be best for you. At DaBella we specialize in full removal and replacement of roofs. If you need an estimate to decide whether a removal and replacement is best for your roof, contact us today!
If you do decide to DIY the repair job some personal protection equipment that you should consider includes steel-toed boots, long sleeve shirt, durable pants, cowhide gloves, and eye protection. The most common injuries after major windstorms are usually caused by exposed nails, broken glass, and other sharp items.
Finding a Contractor for the Significant Repair or Replacement
We created an article on how to find a contractor. The article explains the best ways to go about finding a contractor. Also, refer to the list of questions for contractors mentioned before in this article.
Talk to your insurance company about the best way to fix the repair. If they recommend a licensed roofer to repair the damage, then do so strategically. It is very important to do your due diligence before hiring a contractor to do any work.
You should consider that many contractors do fly by night execution of providing estimates to those that have been affected by major storms. While these types of contractors do have experience and most of the time do good work, they can be off putting. You should always get multiple estimates to compare costs and warranties of contractor products and installations.
It is also good to look at completed job reviews of the company you are looking to hire. These reviews are great for those looking for reputable companies with a track record of customer satisfaction. See our DaBella reviews based on your closest office here.
How Can DaBella Help You?
DaBella is recognized as the #1 performing residential roofing contractor according to the annual Qualified Remodeler Top 500 report in 2021, 2022, and 2023. We would not have received this honor without our employees who exemplify hard work and going above and beyond for customer satisfaction. We also have very close relations with our roofing manufacturer, GAF. With a relationship that has started since essentially when DaBella started, we have been labeled as a Master Elite roofer and apart of the Presidents Club.
We have been given these awards for our flawless installations and giving our customers the best home improvement experience possible. These awards also allow us to give our homeowners the best warranties including the GAF Golden and Silver pledge warranties.
If a windstorm has created problems at your home, then give us a call today and we will have one of our many specialists evaluate the damage and come up with a solution for your home. DaBella specializes in architectural asphalt roofing, James Hardie fiber cement siding, vinyl windows, and unique bath & shower remodels. Contact us today at 844-DaBella.
