Winter freezes and wind can be tough on your roof.
Now that the weather is nice, you should walk around your house and look up. Here’s what to look for:
The shingles should be laying flat against the shingles immediately below them.
There is an adhesive strip on the bottom of every shingle. Changes in temperature can affect the adhesive seals over time.
Look for curled up corners on the shingles. this is usually the first sign that the adhesives are starting to degrade.
Also look for gaps in the middle of the shingles, like an upside-down smile.
These are areas where the adhesive has let go, and wind can get underneath them, and blow them off. I am often asked “How many years does my roof have left?” I usually reply: “When the day comes that the wind blows hard enough from just the right direction, that will be the day that shingles start blowing off your house. When will that be? Who knows?”
What I do know, is that well sealed architectural shingles will easily withstand high winds. New ones are warranted to withstand 135 winds without blowing off.
A year ago, we had 65 to 70 MPH winds in Frederick. None of the architectural shingles that we installed blew off. We lost 4 shingles on one of the condos that we re-roofed with three- tab shingles. The home Owners Association required us to use them so they matched the other homes in the development. There were one-year old shingles that simply were never designed to take high winds.
The closer you are to mountains or high hills; the more frequent wind damage occurs. I suspect that swirling winds are more destructive than straight line winds, changing direction enough to lift shingles when they blow at a bad angle.
Damage to flashings and ridge vents can also occur in high winds.
This is what it looks like after a shingle has been torn off due to wind getting under the adhesive seal.
The sheet metal around chimneys can be blown loose, especially counter flashing that sits on top of the actual flashing and makes a neater finished job.
If you have a metal ridge vent, they can be damaged a little more easily than shingle style ridge vents. We regularly see aluminum ridge vents held on by just the end while the rest lays on the roof and blows around with every breeze. The more durable styles are included in the wind warranty with new architectural roofing.
So, go outside and look up. A little care can save you from a roof failing and a lot of water coming into your home.
Keith Pearcy
23 West All Saints Street, Frederick , Maryland 21701
Phone: 301 712-5228
MHIC #106619
email: info@marylandwindowsdoorsroofs.com
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