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J Ferg Knowledge Base

The Effects of Storm Damage on a Roof

As a homeowner or renter, you must always be storm ready. Storms can cause considerable damage to your home, most commonly from high winds, hail, rain, and falling debris. Hail and falling debris can damage shingles by denting or cracking them, while high windstorms may remove shingles entirely. The removal or damage of shingles can then cause rain to seep through, creating leaks within the home.

Wind 

Both hurricane-force (74 mph+) and gale-force (39-54 mph) winds can cause visible damage to your home’s roof. Wind damage can tear or remove shingles, exposing the underlayment to the outside elements.    

Shingles are overlapped on purpose to create a water-tight seal, and since sharp gusts of wind can lift and curl, a seal may break, leaving your roof vulnerable to other harsh environmental phenomena.  

Signs of wind damage:   

  • Missing shingles 
  • Thin horizontal creases or cracks within granules on shingles 

Hail

Hailstorms can cause severe damage to a roof. When hailstones rain down, shingles and gutters are exposed to harsh bruising or cracking. Cracking can lead to water damage inside the home.  

Signs of hail damage:    

  • Look for collateral hail damage done to your car or other items around the yard 
  • Small round-shaped divots on shingles 
  • Granules missing from indentations 

Standing water

Roofs can experience issues with standing water without proper drainage. Clogged gutters can block water causing rainwater to penetrate underlining shingles leading to leaks or water damage. 

Debris

High winds throw rubbish at or on roofs causing multiple dents, holes, and cracks. Waste may include significant accumulations of trash, branches, or larger tree limbs.   

Signs of debris damage:    

  • Visible debris on top of the roof 
  • Cracked shingles 
  • Missing shingles 
     

If your roof does suffer significant storm damage, it is always best to assess and document damaged areas. After noting details of the damage, make temporary fixes to minimize property damage. Quick fixes may include an extra trash can to catch a leak or a tarp to cover a hole. After these steps, you should not hesitate to call in the experts to prevent further damage. The roofing professionals at J Ferg Roofing will help assess any damage and work with you to get things back to normal – right as rain. Contact us now to see how we can help! 

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Give us a call or use the contact form here to get in touch with a member of our team. From there, we will figure out the best course of action to get your needs taken care of.