It’s spring and with the warming temperatures comes a variety of weather including rain with strong winds. Homeowners often call us after a heavy spring rain and report a roof leak. We often discover that their roof leak is from wind damage.
What Wind Damage Looks Like
Wind damage can be completely apparent or invisible to the untrained eye. It’s easy to spot missing shingles and often even misaligned ones. However, some wind damage doesn’t look like much, especially from the ground. When straight line winds blow against your roof, shingles can bend upward. When the winds stop, they may lay flat again. At that point the damage is done and the water has already started to get into your home. Your roofer will see the signs of the damage during their inspection, even if the shingles are again lying flat.
Storm Damage is Most Common in Old Roofs & New Roofs
It’s likely not a surprise that storm damage is common on an older roof, however, homeowners with new roofs are often shocked when we tell them that their roof leak is from the recent storm. Storm damage on a new roof isn’t uncommon for a few reasons. Sometimes it’s unavoidable because the storm was so strong that many roofs were damaged – this is most common when the wind speeds were above the rating for your shingles.
Other times it’s the fault of the installation team. If they failed to install your shingles properly, they’re likely to blow off or become misaligned after the first strong storm. Ideally your roofing contractor offers a strong installation guarantee and they will fix it without hesitations. Another reason is when there is an issue with the shingles themselves. This is uncommon but can happen with any brand of shingles. If this is the case, the manufacturer’s warranty should cover the issue.
Peak Roofing Contractors Can Help
Even if you don’t have a visible roof leak, we recommend that you walk around your home and perform a visual inspection after every storm or at least a few times a year. You may spot things like missing shingles, misaligned shingles or even an issue with your siding that could require the help of a siding or roofing contractor. Don’t be fooled into thinking that wind damage only happens during a hurricane, tornado or derecho, call Peak Roofing Contractors at the first sign of a roof leak and we’ll inspect your roof and let you know if you have wind damage or another issue. Call us today at (703) 468-4769 or fill out our contact form.
