We’re moving out of the more windstorm months of the year, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be heavy winds with the snows that will come through in the next couple of months.
Though your roof may be fine now, there’s no guarantee that those winds won’t cause damage in the months to come.
What Can Wind Do To A Roof?
A roof is simply a few pieces of wood, tar paper or something similar, and
shingles or tiles of some sort. It is held together with roofing nails. Because of this, while the roof is capable of assisting with keeping in climate control and keeping out rain, snow, and wind, it does not mean that the roof is going to stand up well to powerful winds.
Winds can damage your roof in a few ways. The most obvious is that they can knock down branches and tree limbs that may be near to the roof, causing damage to the roof due to the collision (and the weight). This can result in knocking holes in the roof, which lets in the elements, and needs addressing immediately.
Far more insidious, and somewhat more difficult to detect, is damage that results from heavy wind removing the shingles or tiles from your roof.
Wind damage can tear shingles away from your roof. If it only gets a shingle or two, and there’s not rain coming into your house from the areas that lost shingles, then you got lucky. However, serious windstorms can tear many shingles off at a time.
How Do I Know If My Roof Is In Good Working Condition After a Windstorm?
A storm passes through the area, and the next day, you go outside to take a look at the damage. As you walk into your yard, you see shingles everywhere. Looking to your roof, you see that the shingles obviously came from your roof, and can even see bare spots where the shingles are now missing. There are enough shingles in your yard to fill a garbage bag at the very least. Likely, your roof needs attention.
But what if only a few spots are bare? What if you walk outside and find that only one or two shingles are on the ground in your yard? Well, if you don’t have obvious signs of leaking (say, water damage due to rain or snow), it can be difficult to know if your roof is still able to keep out the elements or not. If you know about roof construction and you are sure of your footing, you can climb up on your roof and look for yourself to see the extent of the damage. Otherwise, you are going to want to hire a professional to come out.
You can always opt to leave the roof as it is. However, doing this makes it more likely that the next rain or
snow storm that comes through will cause water to leak through the bare spots, and that can be an expensive problem to have.
The best course of action, if you are unsure about the condition of your roof, is to contact a
professional Littleton roofer like the fine folks at National Home Improvement, and have them inspect your roof. Catching issues with your roof before they cause additional damage will save you money in the long run, and will keep your home in good condition.
