Roofs are the first line of defense in keeping weather elements out of homes and buildings. Rain can enter through damaged roofing and cause extensive water damage. Wind is another one of the elements of weather that can wreak havoc on asphalt shingled roofing. While strong winds can lift and blow away asphalt roofing shingles, there are several other types of damages that wind can cause to roofing. Here's what you need to know about wind damage to asphalt shingles and how your roof can be properly inspected for all obvious and not-so-obvious types of wind damage.
Not-So-Obvious Types of Wind Damage
Other than the most obvious type of wind damage when shingles blow off of the roof, here are two other ways wind can damage asphalt shingled roofing.
Creasing
Forces from wind can lift up the bottom of shingles that are not securely attached to the roofing structure. Repeatedly lifting up and falling again as the shingle flutters in the wind can create a crease in the shingle. This is noticeable by a whitish-colored horizontal area, usually in the center of the shingle.
Folding
An extremely powerful wind can produce enough force to fold a shingle, particularly if it already has been creased. This is evidenced in shingles that are flipped up when there is no wind.
It's important to note that shingles with these types of wind damage are not able to provide the protection from rain and snow as they should. What's most important to understand about this type of wind damage is that it allows ice to form underneath the roofing materials during the cold months of winter. As water continually freezes and melts repeatedly, the damage grows because water expands when it turns into ice and further lifts up the shingles.
Inspecting Your Roof for Wind Damage
Now that you have an idea of what to look for, you can inspect your roof for the not-so-obvious signs of wind damage. You can do so from the ground with a set of binoculars, but sometimes the damage is so faint and undetectable from afar, even with the use of binoculars. You can climb onto the roof to inspect the shingles closer, but this may be dangerous if there is extensive unseen water damage underneath the asphalt shingles. Therefore, instead of attempting to inspect your roofing yourself, hire an asphalt roofing specialist to do it for you.
