What is Roof Wind Damage? And How to Spot It

Wind can cause damage to my roof?! Unfortunately, this is true.

Roofs can be damaged in a multitude of ways from natural disasters to environmental occurrences. High winds can damage your roof even without storms or hail.

In Colorado, we get a lot of high winds coming and going throughout the year. These winds tend to be quite strong and come in gusts.

When the winds are strong enough, they can uplift your home’s shingles, rip apart materials, or drag other debris onto your roof which leads to further damages (like a tree falling). Strong enough winds can do even more damage than just ripping a few shingles off.

This is called wind damage. 

Wind damage to your roof is something that nature takes into its own hands. In the mid-west, many homes are affected by high winds, causing the shingles to become loose or fall off. Asphalt shingles take the heaviest blow when high winds come. When damage from wind occurs, your roof is no longer protecting the entirety of your home.

Roof wind damage can lead to leaks and other problems with your home, which we’ll discuss further.

What Wind Speed Can a Roof Withstand?

Wind damage is a looming threat all homeowners should be aware of. But it's important to know when your home is actually in danger from high winds and gusts. The wind speeds your roof can withstand depend on a few factors.

Typically, shingle roofing is graded to protect against speeds up to 60 MPH. But if you live in a hurricane or tornado-prone region, you might have a roofing material that can withstand speed up to 150 MPH. These are usually made of metal roofing material.

What Wind Speed Causes Damages to My Roof?

Typically, winds as fast as 70-90 mph (miles per hour) are the starting point for wind that can cause roof damages. However, sometimes a gust at 50 mph can give your roof a beating. Depending on how old your roof is or the materials used to construct it will also play a role in the destruction that high winds can perform.

How Do I Spot Wind Damage to My Roof?

Older roofs are more susceptible to wind damage, but so can a completely new roof because it was just placed and hasn’t fully settled. There is no telling if your roof will be affected by wind damage, which is why it’s best to inspect your roof after high winds or storms.

The most noticeable forms of wind damage are curling shingles and missing shingles. Curling shingles are when your shingles battled it out with the wind and the wind fought back hard enough to push the shingles backward, lifting them up to reveal the felt layer underneath. These are common damages that occur to residential homes. But, not all wind damage can be seen on your roof. 

Types of roof wind damages include:

• Missing shingles: Visible patches left on your roof.
• Curling shingles: Shingles that have lost their adhesion and are curling backward.
• Splitting, tears, or cracked shingles: Damages to the shingles resembling spits, tears, or cracks.
• Uplifted shingles: Shingles with lifted nails that are no longer fully committed to keeping your roof’s shingles down. This will be difficult to see unless you get a close inspection of the roof.
• Clogged or damaged vents: Ventilation systems that are now filled with debris or otherwise damaged.
• Leaking roofs: Leaks coming from the ceiling into the home in any part of the house because the roof is no longer secure.
• Breezes: Small breezes leaking into your home from the roof.
• Backed up or bent gutters: Gutters that are filled with debris and are clogged or are bent and no longer properly function.
• Chimney flashing missing or damaged: The flashing that keeps your chimney set in place is gone or has been seriously damaged.
• Debris collecting on your roof: The high winds dragged various debris onto your roof and it is collecting a mass that is collapsing the roof or otherwise leading to damages.

After storms or windy days, it’s best to check in on your roof to ensure it’s still stable and nothing concerning catches your attention. Though you might have a 20-year guarantee and a warranty on your roof, damages caused by the environment can still affect it. Nature is still going to do what it wants, but we can fix the damages!

Hire a Colorado Roofing Contractor

If your roof has experienced wind damage or is needing an inspection after heavy winds or a storm, call a local Colorado roofing company. At 970 Services, we are licensed and insured roofing contractors with plenty of experience in repairing roof damages caused by wind. Colorado homes on the Front Range get a lot of special attention when the high winds come through since many of them are affected by wind damages.

Insurance companies typically cover wind damage to roofs! We’ll work with your insurance company to ensure that you pay less out-of-pocket costs.
It sometimes takes an expert to inspect and discover wind damages that have troubled your roof. If you give us a call today, we’ll inspect your roof at no cost. We will repair your roof from these damages and prevent wind damages from affecting your roof in the future. Don’t let the winds destroy your home!