Don’t let wind storms cause lasting damage on your roof! Keep an eye out for the worst sorts of rooftop debris. If it looks like a storm was hard on your roof, don’t take any chances: Have your house inspected.
Watch out for the following, as these types of debris are the worst:
1. Building Components
When it comes to catastrophic damage, we often find that nothing holds a candle to building components. You see, with high winds (and serious weather events like tornados or hurricanes) some of the first things to give way are actual pieces of other houses around you. Plants, trees and rocks are better at withstanding windstorms.
Think of the things that are likely to break off and come careening at your rooftop. We’ve seen antennas, shutters, posts, nails, glass, roof vents, fencing, lawn chairs, bits of masonry, and of course, other shingles make their way towards roofs. You’d be amazed at the kind of damage those things can do when they’re thrown through the air at high speeds.
Issues with building components also pose a problem because while you can protect your own house, you can’t really do anything about your neighbors’ (except hope they learn from their mistakes). If it looks like your home was hit by a building component of any kind, call us out to inspect your rooftop and siding. We’ll see if your underlayment was damaged. If it was, we’ll diagnose what needs to be done to repair it.
2. Tree Branches (on or Off)
Strong winds will indeed tear tree branches and sometimes entire trees away, especially if they are old and poorly supported. These objects may not reach the velocity of man-made debris, but they can still tear shingles off of your roof and puncture your protective rooftop membrane. In addition to signs of damage, look for wood chips, leaves, and other evidence that the destruction was caused by a tree branch. One way to do this is to look at naturally large branches missing from nearby trees.
Interestingly enough, some of the most common tree damage happens when trees are healthy. Trees that are close to a house can be bent and whipped across a home by strong winds (especially if there are any overhanging branches). This creates friction that can damage or remove your shingles. This is yet another reason to keep trees away from your rooftop and siding.
3. Hail
Hail is a problem for a few reasons: 1. There’s not much you can do about it or how bad it gets and 2. The damage it does is often hidden. Heavy hail may not rip off shingles, but it can crack shingles and wear down their protective granules, shortening their lifespan. Hail can even puncture the lining under your shingles with no visible sign, just a good chance that a leak will develop in the future. Keep a careful watch on your roof after a hailstorm, and pay attention to any new signs of wear and tear.