Not all people are as afraid of wind damage as they are of water. Water can easily damage wood, for example, and you don’t need a crash course in residential roofing service to know that a lot of the structural supports that comprise a roof are made of wood (or wood derivatives).
Wind damage, however, is in a class all on its own. Yet, there are many misconceptions about wind damage, including the following:
Wind Damage Is Not Visually Apparent
Most homeowners think that wind damage can’t be spotted visually, so it’s useless to look for it anyway. Or, even worse, because they can’t see it, they tend to believe that it’s not there. But strong winds can damage your home.
Wind damage on shingles usually looks like the shingle tab was folded, torn off or creased. You should also watch out for dislodged granules or even entire portions of shingles, which may be missing due to having been blown away by the wind.
Any Loose Shingle Is Wind Damaged
This is on the opposite side of the spectrum. Some homeowners, meanwhile, believe that any shingle that’s loose or flaking has received wind damage.
Most of the time, though, these are merely the contractor mistakes. The roofers may have applied adhesive incorrectly (or insufficiently). They may have laid out the pattern incorrectly or just used inferior materials.
Shingle Strength Can Be Measured Objectively
No test can conclusively test the reduction in strength of a shingle system after a major storm. While some contractors use the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) handbook as a method to do this, the ASTM manual requires figures that most roofing manufacturers do not disclose. This means that figures have to be either guessed or arrived at using independent laboratory results, which may skew calculations.
Exterior Building Solutions can help with roof damage, whether from wind or water. To learn more about our services, especially our roof damage inspection, call us today at (314) 470-8783. You can also fill out our contact form to get started. We serve residents in and around St Louis, MO.