You may think that the wind has not damaged your roof if you do not see that the shingles have come off. Think again. Wind can cause a multitude of damage to your roof that will shorten its life and leave it susceptible to leaks and further damage. And you may never know!

When the wind blows, it creates a tremendous amount of pressure on the shingles. Damage does not occur from the wind itself blowing under the shingles, but rather from vacuum-like forces created on the surface. Have you ever seen a video of a tornado approaching a house and all of a sudden the entire roof comes off the house like a lid? It is the same lifting force that can damage the tiles, albeit on a smaller scale.

The first thing the wind lift will do with your shingles is break the adhesive seal. Once that seal is broken, the shingles become susceptible to breaking completely. These loose shingles will often flap up and down during the next thunderstorm, allowing rainwater to penetrate underneath where it’s not supposed to be! Wind-driven rain can cause leaks and damage the interior of your home. Although many insurance companies and their engineering business partners claim that a broken seal is not damage, there is no question that it is damage. Shingles must be sealed to do their job properly. Each manufacturer’s specification emphasizes the fact that the shingles must be sealed. At a minimum, these shingles should be hand sealed down. This may not be possible with older shingles depending on their condition.

In some cases, when the tile seal is broken, it will cause delamination of that tile, or the one to which it was sealed. In this case, the tile cannot simply be resealed. Both tiles need to be replaced. It is very possible that an entire roof will need to be replaced due to delamination, even though all the shingles are still in place.

Another common form of wind damage that cannot be seen from the ground is wrinkles. This happens when the seal has been broken, and with the shingle blowing in the wind, you bend it back enough to form a crease. Usually this will happen before the shingle is completely detached, which is the most obvious and easily visible form of damage from the ground.

Don’t wait until your roof leaks! Have your roof inspected at least once a year and after a major storm to make sure you know its condition. You may be able to get a new roof through your homeowners insurance!