Wind Damage Roof Repair in Hempstead, NY

Why does wind lift shingles that look fine?

Because the shingles are held by a seal strip and nails, and the seal can break without the shingle moving far. A broken seal lets the wind get under the edge on the next storm.

Each shingle has a sealant strip on its underside that bonds it to the course below, and nails that hold it in place. Wind that gets under the edge pushes the seal apart. Once the seal is broken, the shingle can lift again in the next storm, and it becomes easier to tear.

The broken seal is hard to see. A shingle that looks flat may be unsealed along its length. The roofer checks each suspect shingle by gently lifting it to see whether it stays down, and reseals those that have lost their bond.

Why do the eaves and the corners take the most damage?

Because wind lifts air up the roof slope and it pulls hardest at the edges, the corners and the ridge. Those are the uplift zones, and they are checked first.

Wind that hits the face of a house is deflected up the roof, and the air that passes over the edges creates the greatest uplift. The eaves and the rake, which are the lower and side edges, and the corners of the roof take the most load. The ridge and the hip take the air that flows over the top.

The roofer therefore checks those zones first and then works across the rest of the roof. A repair at the edges that ignores the middle of the slope can leave loose shingles that will fail in the next storm.

Can a wind-damaged shingle be reused?

Sometimes. A shingle with a sound tab and an intact seal can be resealed. A creased, torn or brittle shingle should be replaced with a matching piece.

A shingle that is creased will not lie flat again, and a torn shingle cannot hold its seal. A brittle shingle may break when lifted to reseal it. The roofer tests each one and replaces those that cannot be fixed.

The matching of the replacement shingle matters. A shingle that does not match the colour or the profile of the roof will look wrong, and the age difference may be obvious from the ground. The roofer checks the match before the replacement is fitted.

• Reseal: sound tab, intact seal, flat when lifted
• Replace: creased, torn, brittle or missing
• Check the nail pattern before and after the repair

What about the ridge and the vents?

The ridge caps and the vent caps are among the first pieces wind takes. Their loss exposes the shingles and the decking beneath to rain.

A ridge cap that is torn away leaves the top course of shingles open to wind and rain. The roofer replaces the cap and checks the shingles beneath it. A vent cap that is bent or displaced lets rain in around the pipe, and it is refitted with a new seal.

The attic is checked after a ridge or vent repair, because a damp insulation patch shows where water has been getting in. The attic note is included in the report.

Why does the repair need a written note?

Because the note shows what was damaged, where, and what was repaired. It is the record that protects the homeowner in a later storm claim and at a future sale.

The note lists the areas that were repaired, the parts replaced and the parts resealed. It states the damage found and the date of the repair. The note is written in plain terms, so the homeowner can show it to an insurer, a buyer or a future roofer.

A note also records the parts of the roof that were not repaired but need watching. Those are the places to check after the next storm, and the note says what to look for.

What the homeowner can do after a windy night

Look from the ground, check the gutters and the yard for debris, and call if any shingle or cap is visible on the ground.

After a windy night, walk the yard and look at the gutters and the ground around the house. A shingle, a piece of ridge cap or a bent vent cap on the ground is a sign of wind damage. Photograph it and call, rather than climbing up to check.

Remove debris from the roof edge only from a safe position, and do not step onto the roof when it is wet or damaged.