When you live in an area with high winds, your roof is much more susceptible to wear and tear and roof damage. If you want to protect your roof, maintain its safety and energy-efficiency, and extend its lifespan, you should commit to regular roofing inspections and maintenance. You can also take preventive measures to protect your roof from wind damage. Here is a guide to understanding how heavy winds can take a toll on your roof, and reducing your risk of wind-related roof damage in Baltimore County, MD.
How Much Wind is Too Much for Your Roofing System?
While all roofing systems are designed to withstand wind, rain, snow, and general wear and tear, some roofing systems are better than others at withstanding high winds. If your city or neighborhood frequently experiences high winds, you should consider the toll it will take on the type of roofing system you choose for your home. Your roof’s age, condition, installation process, and maintenance schedule will also play a role in how well it can withstand high winds. In general, wind speeds over 70 miles per hour can cause major roof damage, and wind speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour can cause catastrophic roof damage.
What Wind Speed Can Cause Roof Damage?
In general, any wind speed over 50 miles per hour will cause some level of damage to your roof. However, the frequency or length of time that your roof is exposed to high wind speeds will also play a factor. If a storm is coming through and your area will experience high-speed winds for days on end, your roof will sustain more damage than it would if it just was exposed to one day of heavy winds.
Inspecting Your Roof for Signs of Wind Damage
To protect your roof, it’s important to inspect it regularly for signs of damage. You should do a visual inspection of your roof before and after heavy storms and schedule a professional roofing inspection every 1-3 years depending on the age and condition of your roofing system. When you inspect your roof before a storm or period of high winds, you can catch early warning signs of problems that will get bigger, more dangerous, and more expensive if your roof is exposed to high winds. You can then schedule professional roof repairs that will strengthen your roof and enhance its ability to survive the storm. Inspecting your roof after a storm will ensure you understand the condition of your roof and can schedule necessary roof cleaning, roof maintenance, and roof repairs. The sooner you clean up after a storm, the less likely it is that the problems will get worse and more expensive to repair.
How Will Wind Damage Your Roofing System?
Before you do your visual inspections, it’s important to understand how wind affects each type of roofing system. This way, you will know what to look for and be able to recognize the signs of wind-related roof damage. Take a look at how wind can damage each type of roofing, and then call an experienced roofing contractor for repairs if you notice any of these signs of damage:
- How Wind Can Damage Shingle Roofing – When inspecting a shingle roof for wind-related damage, look for missing or lifted shingles, shingles that are curling or buckling, granule loss, and exposed nails.
- How Wind Can Damage Metal Roofing – While metal roofing is very durable, it can still sustain damage during high winds. When inspecting your metal roof for signs of wind damage, look for loose or missing hardware or fasteners, scratches or abrasions, dented panels, deformed panels, and bent or missing ridge caps.
- How Wind Can Damage Slate Roofing – Slate roofing is very durable, but still cannot withstand severe wind. Look for these signs of wind damage on slate roofing: missing or broken tiles, cracked tiles, tiles that have shifted or migrated, uneven rows of tiles, or damage to the ridge tiles along the top of the roof.
- How Wind Can Damage Flat Roofing – Flat rubber roofs can sustain damage in high winds. When inspecting your flat roof, look for these signs of damage: a lifted or damaged roofing membrane, displaced or exposed insulation, cracked or damaged sealant, and damaged roofing accessories like your HVAC unit, satellite dishes, solar panels, gutters, soffits, fascia, and siding.
Protecting Your Roof from Wind-Related Roof Damage
You can also take preventive measures to protect your roof from wind-related roof damage. If you live in an area that experiences frequent wind and storms, it’s a good idea to stay on top of roofing inspections, repairs, and maintenance. If you know that your area is expecting high winds or a major storm, you can take necessary steps to protect your roof from damage:
- Choose wind-resistant roofing materials and a strong, durable roofing system.
- Only trust professional, licensed roofing contractors for roof installation, replacement, maintenance, and repairs.
- Install a wind-resistant underlayment.
- Keep trees carefully trimmed and pruned so they don’t overhang your roof.
- Schedule regular roof inspections.
- Install roof clips or roof wind straps.
Finding a Contractor for Roof Wind Damage Repairs
If you notice roof damage, it’s best to hire a professional roofing contractor as soon as possible for repairs. Ignoring the damage or waiting too long to schedule roofing repairs will only allow the damage to become more extensive and expensive. In time, you may end up needing a total roof replacement. Waiting too long to have roof damage repaired can also affect your insurance premiums and result in a denied claim.
Call for a Free Estimate for Roof Repairs in Baltimore County
At Badger Contracting, we have extensive experience in roofing services for local homeowners and business owners in our community. We are a locally owned and operated roofing company that values honesty, integrity, and transparency in our services. We work hard to make sure the job is done right the first time, and we stand by our work. We specialize in roofing inspections, roof replacement and installation, and certified roofing repairs. We serve Annapolis, Baltimore, Columbia, Owing Mills, Towson, Bel Air, Westminster, and Glen Burnie, MD and surrounding areas. Call us today or contact us online to request an estimate for the cost of wind-related roof damage repair in Baltimore County.