If you noticed some of your roof’s shingles were dislodged or are slightly raised, you should have a roofing contractor replace them as soon as possible. Shingle blow-off leaves your home exposed to the elements. That’s why gaps in your roof need to be fixed as soon as possible.
What are the usual culprits behind shingle blow-off?
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Incorrect nailing and installation errors – Each roofing shingle has a narrow strip that contractors use for proper nail placement. Nail placement on shingles should overlap with the top edge of the shingles below to ensure they’re secured and able to resist wind uplift. If nail placement is too high or isn’t within the strip, the nails won’t be able to secure the shingles below.
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Too much roof overhang – Your roof’s edges are vulnerable to wind damage because uplift pressure is at its highest along the roof’s edges. Too much roof overhang substantially increases the risk of wind damage because it increases the surface area on which wind can exert force. To reduce the risk of wind damage, the end of a roofing shingle should hang over the edge by only one to 1.5 inches or 0.5 to 0.75 inches if drip edge flashing was installed.
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Your roof is too old – The older your roofing system, the more susceptible it is to shingle blow-off and leaks. That’s because as it approaches the end of its lifespan, the adhesive that keeps your shingles sealed weakens.
How Long Do Asphalt Shingles Usually Last?
It depends on the type of roofing shingle: three-tab shingles usually last 20 years while more expensive dimensional shingles last 25 years.
How Can You Tell if It’s Time for a Roof Replacement?
By keeping an eye out for the warning signs, one of which is extensive granule loss. As your shingle roof ages, the adhesion of the protective granules to its top layer weakens, which results in increasingly extensive granule loss. If granule loss becomes so extensive that bald patches start appearing on your roof or granules start accumulating in your gutters, you should start planning a roof replacement.
Here’s a tip: to keep track of your roof’s lifespan and maintenance routine, we recommend keeping a roofing file, which should contain important documents, such as installation records, inspection reports and warranty details.
Factors That Can Affect the Extent of Wind Damage
Keep in mind other factors can affect the extent of wind damage to your roof. Here’s an overview:
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The type of roofing system – Thanks to their wide surface areas, roofs with wide overhangs (like high-pitched gable roofs) are more vulnerable to wind damage than other roof types.
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The type of roof fastener – Using quality fasteners can increase your roof’s resistance to wind uplift and damage.
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The number of floors in your home – The higher your roof is, the stronger the wind velocity and wind uplift, and the higher the risk of shingle blow-off.
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Geographical location – Homes in areas that frequently experience strong winds and storms are more likely to suffer from shingle blow-out.
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Surrounding terrain – Neighboring homes and buildings can disrupt wind flow and lower the risk of shingle blow-outs.
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Underlying roofing issues – Roofing issues like broken shingles, missing flashing and deck rot can exacerbate wind damage to your roof. For instance, roof decking with dry rot can cause the nails on shingles to pop and loosen shingles. That’s why it’s important to have your roofing system routinely inspected. Through routine inspections, contractors can fix underlying roofing issues before they can affect other parts of your home.
Should You Repair or Replace Your Roof if It Has Blow-Off Issues?
Replacing dislodged shingles makes practical and financial sense if only a few shingles were dislodged. However, if a large number of shingles were dislodged or your roof is approaching the end of its lifespan, a roof replacement is more cost-effective.
How to Prevent Shingle Blow-Off and Minimize Wind Damage
Install asphalt shingles with a wind rating that meets or exceeds the wind speeds experienced in your area. Wind ratings indicate the wind speeds roofing shingles can withstand.
Conventional shingles usually have a wind rating of 110 to 130 miles per hour (mph), but the recommended wind ratings vary depending on your area. There are several tests that measure a shingle’s wind resistance. One of them is the ASTM D3161 or Standard Test Method for Wind-Resistance of Asphalt Shingles (Fan-Induced Method) test.
The ASTM D3161 test places asphalt shingles that managed to withstand wind speeds of 60 mph for two hours under Class A while shingles that managed to endure wind speeds of 90 mph are placed under Class D. And if shingles show no signs of damage after being exposed to wind speeds of 110 mph, they are placed under Class F.
To learn more about the wind ratings recommended for your local area, consult one of your local roofing or remodeling contractors. Since they’re more familiar with the local climate and building codes, they can make better recommendations.
Schedule a roof inspection after a storm or extreme weather event. No matter how durable your roof is, it’s likely to have suffered some form of damage after a severe storm. What if there aren’t any leaks or signs of roof damage? It would still be a good idea to have a roof contractor conduct a comprehensive inspection. That’s because it’s easy to miss the early warning signs of roofing damage. By the time the more visible signs of damage emerge, it’s already too late to mitigate roofing damage.
Always vet contractors before hiring them. This is to make sure they’re qualified for the job and will install your roofing system correctly. Here are some tips on vetting contractors:
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Ask the contractor how long they’ve been in business – The number of years a roofing contractor has been working in the industry should give you a good idea of their level of expertise.
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Ask them about the kinds of projects they’ve handled – Do they offer residential and commercial roofing services? What about exterior remodeling and other home improvement services?
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Check their certifications – Certifications are proof a contractor has undergone vetting. They are essentially a vote of confidence from a manufacturer or independent non-profit that a contractor won’t compromise on the quality of their work.
Why Hire a GAF Master Elite® Contractor?
The requirements for a Master Elite® certification are so stringent that only 2% of all roofing contractors qualify. To receive the Master Elite certification, a contractor needs to be properly licensed, adequately insured and committed to ongoing professional training, and have a solid business reputation in their respective communities. As such, you can rest easy knowing that GAF Master Elite contractors will install your roof correctly.
Other Signs of Wind Damage
Aside from shingle blow-off, you should keep an eye out for these warning signs of wind damage:
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Narrow lines near the edge of an asphalt shingle – This may be a sign some of the shingles were creased.
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Scratch marks – Wind-driven debris is the usual culprit behind scratch marks on your roof.
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Damaged ridge or soffit vents – Ridge vents are installed along the peak of your roof while soffit vents are found along the underside of your roof’s eaves.
Important note: keep in mind that it’s easy to miss the warning signs of wind damage. That’s why contractors usually recommend having your roof inspected at least twice a year.
Looking for experienced contractors near you?
AllPoint Construction, a GAF Master Elite contractor, offers a wide range of professional home improvement services, including roofing services. To request a free estimate, call us at (734) 407-7110, or fill out this form.
