Why Every Homeowner Should Consider the Wind Rating of Their Roof: Info from Roofing Contractors in North Carolina
When you’re getting a new roof put on your home, you’ll likely consider factors such as the long-term durability of the shingles, color, water resistance, materials and general design. However, you should also add wind rating to your list of considerations. It’s a concern all North Carolina homeowners need to consider.
The majority of modern shingles are rated to withstand about 90 mile-per-hour winds. There are also some roofing materials on the market that are able to withstand higher winds in areas prone to tornadoes and hurricanes.
Here’s a brief overview from our roofing contractors in North Carolina about the types of wind damage your shingle roof may sustain, and how you can prevent that damage.
Types of Wind Damage
The most common type of wind damage to shingle roofs is shingles that are lifted up off the roof, as well as shingles that shatter or get blown off. It’s pretty easy even from the ground to see when you’ve got lifted, broken or missing shingles, and it’s important you take immediate action to address the issue, as this type of damage could make your home susceptible to leaks.
There are other types of damage that aren’t going to be quite as easy to see from the ground. In some circumstances, shingles can lift up off the surface of the roof, but then start to settle back down after the storm is over. The roof may look fine from the ground, but closer inspection reveals a couple problems.
Another issue concerns the nails holding shingles down, which can become loose when the wind lifts shingles. Not only does this make it more likely the shingles will lift up again and eventually blow off, it also negatively affects the roof’s ability to remain watertight and resist high winds.
In addition, it’s important to remember that shingles generally have adhesive strips or sealant between their layers, so each shingle seals to the one underneath it. When you’ve got high winds blowing along the roof top, those seals can break. When this happens, your roof becomes much less wind- and water-resistant. This means you’ll have to make some repairs and take some additional steps to prevent damage to the roof.
Preventing Wind Damage
Damage prevention starts right at installation. It’s a good idea to make sure contractors use roof cement while installing shingles to give them a little bit of extra stick. Even just a few drops for each shingle will significantly increase the wind resistance of the roof. If you need to stick shingles back on your roof that blew off during a storm, this is certainly a step you should take as well.
In addition, be sure to install new roofs during the spring or summer, because the roof’s ability to form a seal is dependent on the heat of the sun. roofing in cooler weather is not advisable for this reason. For more information about how to prevent wind damage and repair damage caused by heavy gusts, contact a roofing contractor in North Carolina today.
Categorised in: Roofs
This post was written by Writer