A summer thunderstorm usually gets into a roof in one of four ways. Gusts break the seal that holds the shingles flat, wind pushes rain sideways under flashing, a downpour overflows the gutters, and branches come down on the roof. A lot of that damage starts at a spot that was already weak, so the best protection is done in late spring, before the storms.
What a summer storm does to a roof
Wind works on a roof from the edges in. Gusts catch the shingles at the eaves, the gable ends and the ridge, and peel them up off the sealant that glues each one to the row beneath. Once a shingle has come unstuck, the next strong wind can lift it again, and in time it can crease or blow off. Our post on signs of wind damage explains why shingles let go and how to spot one that has.
The rain comes with the wind. Driven sideways, it gets under flashing laps and around vent pipes where a straight-down shower never reaches. A downpour also fills the gutters faster than a clogged downspout can drain them, and water that backs up at the eaves soaks the fascia and the edge of the roof deck.
Then there are the trees. A falling limb can crack shingles and bend flashing, and a heavy one can break through the deck. Even small debris left lying on the roof holds water against the shingles and blocks the valleys.
Heat does its own, slower damage over the same months. Our guide to preventing roof leaks in late summer covers that side.
Getting the roof ready before storm season
What keeps a July storm from turning into a leak is mostly small work, done in late spring.
- Have loose, cracked or missing shingles replaced, and lifted flashing and split vent boots fixed. A shingle that’s already loose is the first one a gust takes.
- Clean out the gutters and downspouts, and check that each downspout carries water away from the house.
- Have a tree service cut back limbs that reach over the roof, so one that snaps in a storm falls in the yard.
- Check the attic too, if there’s a safe way up. After a spring rain, check the wood above you for stains or damp, and get the cause fixed before the storms come.
- Look at anything fastened to the roof after it went on, like a satellite dish, an antenna or solar panel mounts. Equipment added later often isn’t properly connected to the roof, which is why the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) advises bringing in a roofing contractor before anything new goes up there. If you already have one, ask about it at your next inspection.
- Keep a record of the roof. NRCA recommends starting one the day the roof is installed, with the contract, and adding each inspection and repair after that. Note any storm damage too. Add photos of each slope taken on a clear day, so that after a storm you can show what was there before.
A spring roof inspection is the simplest way to find the loose shingles and flashing before a storm does.
In the first hours after a storm
Keep off the roof, even once the sky clears. Wet shingles are slick, and a damaged deck can give way under you. Then go through our storm damage checklist. It starts indoors, upstairs room by room and then the attic if it’s safe to reach, before you walk around the outside and look up.
If water is already coming through a ceiling, catch it in a bucket, move furniture and electronics clear and phone us at (484) 553-0213. Leave covering the roof to a roofer. Emergency repairs are generally considered temporary, made by a roofing contractor to keep the damage from spreading until the permanent repair can be done.
Hail and strong gusts can leave damage that doesn’t show from the yard, so after a storm like that, have the roof looked at anyway.
A storm can also bring a knock on the door from a crew offering to fix your roof that week. Take your time. Ask for a written estimate, find out where the company is based, and be wary of anyone who wants the full price up front.
Why storm damage you miss in July shows up in January
A shingle creased or unstuck in a July storm can settle back into place with nothing to show for it. Water finds the gap slowly. Then winter takes over: meltwater runs under the loose edge, freezes there and pries it further open. That’s why the check after a storm is worth doing even when nothing seems wrong, and why the fall inspection in our guide to winter roof inspections looks for what the summer storms loosened.
Fixing what the storm broke
When you call, we look over the damage, photograph it and price the repair in writing before any work starts. The estimate costs you nothing. If the storm took some shingles or opened a leak but the roof is in good shape otherwise, it’s usually a repair: new shingles set into the old courses, flashing refastened or replaced, and any wet decking cut out and replaced. Our storm damage roof repair page explains when the damage is bad enough to need a new roof.
Insurers usually want photos of the damage and a written description of the repair. Our photos and estimate give you both, as part of our roof insurance claim help. Your insurer decides what the policy pays for, and you handle the claim with them. Filing, processing and negotiating it isn’t something we do.
If the storm left damage you can see, such as missing shingles or a new stain on a ceiling, call us at (484) 553-0213 or ask for a free estimate.