Roof Repairs Your Shingle Roof Might Need Due To Wind Damage

Whether your roof is new or old, a strong storm can cause damage. Strong winds might lift shingles and blow them off the roof or tug at them and cause damage. Missing shingles should be repaired quickly.

If your roof is fairly new, the underlayment may still be in good shape and protect your roof from rain, but if your roof is old, the underlayment may be worn out, and that increases the risk of a roof leak. Here is what you should do if you have wind-damaged shingles.

Start With A Roof Check

When the roofer is on the roof to make repairs, they look carefully for all damaged shingles in the area. There may be shingles with cracks and other damage that need to be repaired to prevent a roof leak. Nails sometimes back out of shingles, and those can leave holes that let rain in. Once the roofer has assessed the damage, they plan the roof repairs to work efficiently.

Remove Damaged Shingles

When roofing shingles are applied, the roofer starts at the bottom of the roof and works toward the top by layering shingles on top of each other. When a shingle has damage, it needs to be pulled out from under the shingle on top of it.

This requires lifting the top shingle with a flat bar so the nails that hold the damaged shingle down can be removed. When the nails are gone, the bad shingle can be pulled out. When shingles are missing, the roofer checks for nails left behind and pulls those out before the new shingles are put in.

Check The Underlayment And Deck

Once all the damaged shingles are out of the way, the roofer can check the underlayment and deck. If the wind damage is recent, the deck may not have any rot from water damage. If the shingles have been missing a long time, the deck may have water damage due to rain exposure. If necessary, the roofer cuts out the rotted part of the deck and replaces it with dry plywood.

If the underlayment has degraded due to age, the roofer may patch in a new section of underlayment before putting on the new shingles. If the underlayment and deck are both good, the roofer can start putting the new shingles on without the need for other roof repairs.

Put On New Shingles

If you saved some shingles when your roof was installed, you can let the roofer use those to make roof repairs. The benefits of using shingles you already own are that you can save a little money on the roof repairs, and the shingles will match your roof.

If you don't have saved shingles, the roofer will choose shingles that are a close match to make repairs. A new shingle is put on by lifting the shingle above it so the new shingle can be slid in and nailed down. This is repeated for each missing shingle.

Repair Wind-Damaged Shingles

If shingles are just moved out of place, they can be moved to the proper position and secured with nails and adhesive. Shingles with cracks or holes can be repaired with a sealant, but your roofer may prefer to replace them as added assurance they won't start leaking.