The crucial signs of storm damage on your roof

After a storm, homeowners should check their roofs for any damage. Even if there is a no-water visible inside the house, roof damage can take place. It might be tempting for homeowners to climb the roof, but homeowners must avert this step as much as possible. It is necessary to analyze the roof damage from the ground level as much as possible. It’s best to use a set of binoculars to see things clearly before arriving at a decision. 

Rain by itself is not enough to cause damage to a sound roof. You need to add hail, flying debris, and wind to the mix that might cause severe damage to the roof. Are you thinking about how to spot roof storm damage? A few of the roof damage is evident to the eyes. But you should still take your time and assess closely. If you want, you can also take the help of a roofing contractor.

The damaging winds are those that surpass 50 miles per hour. These winds comprise massive hurricanes and thunderstorms called the “straight line” winds that separate them from tornadoes. Wind damage gets linked with most roof damages. Some of the signs of the damage include:

• Missing shingles

The shingles that already got cracked are at greater risk with wind speeds that surpass 60 miles per hour. Even though the roofing manufacturers cover the harsh winds in the warranty, a roof can withstand the wind speed based on a well-maintained or new roof. 

• Visible granule loss

If you have a brand-new roof, a minimal granule loss is standard. However, with storm damage, the granule loss gets found in the horizontal lines. It highlights where the shingle seal got broken. The granules rub off as the shingles flap in the wind and come to contact with other surfaces. 

• Visible water infiltration

The majority of visible leaks that percolate through the building ceiling directly affect the wind or storm damage. In such situations, both the roof underlayment and the shingles get compromised. It can lead to water flooding the attic or the upper rooms in the building. 

• Loose debris

Any loose debris that you might find around the house can indicate that something might have stuck to your roof during a storm. It would help if you cleared out the debris as much as possible to reduce the risk and search for characteristic broken shingle patterns to analyze the impact. 

• Broken or clogged gutters and downspouts

It is essential to clean the clogged gutters at the earliest after a storm. The water usually drains from a broken gutter directly at the foot of a building. And with time, it might as well erode the foundation and cause a safety risk to the structure. You need to check all the downspouts and gutters for dislocation and bending. 

• Ice dams

If the shingle roofs don’t get maintained well, it can lead to ice dams. The ice dams get developed as an outcome of the snowmelt freezing on the roof eaves. The ice ridge prevents extra water from melting snow to leave the roof, resulting in leaks. The majority of ice dams are visible. These are some of the obvious signs of storm damage to the roof! Once you know it, you can work towards it with clarity.