If your roof got damaged during a storm, you should get it repaired as soon as possible before the damage has a chance to get worse. But how can you know if your roof got damaged?
You should either inspect it yourself or schedule an inspection by professional roofers. If necessary, the professionals may help fix up the damages and complete the flat roof repair. If you want to inspect your roof on your own, there are signs of wind damage to the roof you should look out for.
Check out these nine signs of wind damage to the roof:
Sign #1: Missing roof shingles
It’s not always necessary to climb on your roof to inspect it. Some wind damage can be spotted from the ground, especially if your roof has missing shingles.
If you do notice that some shingles are missing from your roof, see if you can find where they have landed on the ground. It might be possible to simply reattach them to your roof, as long as the strong wind did not break or curl them.
Sign #2: Curled roof shingles
The wind might have lifted the edges of some of your roof’s shingles and curled them upwards, breaking their adhesive seal. This type of damage can be more difficult to spot from the ground, so you will need to climb on your roof or call an expert for help.
It will probably be necessary to replace the curled shingles as soon as possible since they leave small parts of your roof vulnerable.
Sign #3: Damaged roof shingles
A roof inspection could also reveal some damaged roof shingles. Perhaps they did not curl up during the storm, but maybe the wind made them flap. This could result in horizontal lines on some shingles, and it would be important to get them replaced.
The wind could also simply peel off some of the granules on your shingles. These granules coating your shingles are crushed stone and minerals, and their purpose is to protect your roof from the sun and any type of impact.
Therefore, if granules have peeled off from some of your shingles, they will eventually have to be replaced with new shingles so they can keep protecting your roof properly.
Sign #4: Flapping roof shingles
If you look at your roof during a storm, you might notice shingles carelessly flapping in the wind. This is not a good sign, and even if those flapping shingles don’t look damaged after the storm has passed, they will need to get reattached to your roof before damage occurs.
Sign #5: Granules in roof gutters
If you notice a lot of tiny granules in your roof’s gutters while you are cleaning them, you can be sure that some of your shingles have been peeled and damaged by the wind.
It’s normal to find a few granules in the gutters. But if there are many granules, you should inspect your roof carefully and get it fixed.
Sign #6: Damaged roof gutters
Your shingles are not the only part of your roof that can get damaged by strong winds. Your gutters could get damaged either because the wind tried to rip them off your roof or because they have been hit by debris.
If a storm was strong enough to damage your gutters this way, it was probably strong enough to cause some damage to your roof as well. On top of getting your broken gutters repaired, you should get your roof inspected carefully.
Sign #7: Damaged fascia and soffit
The fascia is the board that sits against the edge of your roof, while the soffit is the underside of the parts of your roof that extend away from your house. Both can get damaged, cracked, loosened, or bent by strong winds.
If your fascia or soffit are damaged, your roof will be vulnerable to water damage. You will have to get these pieces repaired by roofers as soon as possible.
Sign #8: Damaged chimney
If your chimney got damaged by the wind, your roof probably got damaged. If your chimney looks crooked, if the chimney stack is cracked or damaged, or if there seems to be something wrong with the flashing, the crown, or the cap, you will need to get it repaired quickly.
The good news is that roofers have what it takes to fix your broken chimney, and they will be able to inspect your roof for wind damage while they’re up there.
Sign #9: Water damage inside your home
Finally, water damage in your house is a sure sign that your roof suffered some damage from a storm. Your ceiling could be leaking, or there could be a leak somewhere in your attic.
If some rainwater leaks inside your walls because your roof is damaged, you might notice discoloration or a musty, earthy smell. This is a sign that mould is growing inside your walls and that you need to do something about it as quickly as possible.
