How to Check Your Roof for Wind Damage After a Nor'easter

What does wind damage on a roof actually look like?

Wind damage usually shows up as missing shingles, shingles that are lifted or folded back, and loose pieces along the edges and ridge. A less obvious kind is a shingle that flapped in the wind, broke its seal and then settled back down with a crease across it. From the street it can look almost normal.

After a nor'easter, look for these signs:

• Missing shingles or bare patches, where you can see black underlayment, a layer in a different color or the wood deck.
• Lifted or flipped tabs, especially along the rake edges (the sloped sides of a gable) and the bottom row at the gutters.
• Creased shingles, which show a straight horizontal line or a slight bulge where the shingle bent upward.
• Damaged ridge caps, the shingles that run along the peak, which take wind from both sides.
• Loose or bent metal: drip edge along the eaves, chimney flashing, or vent collars that look pulled away.
• Shingle pieces and granules in the yard, driveway or gutters.
• Impact damage from branches, which can crack shingles or punch through them even when the wind alone did not.

Wind does not only hit the roof. Check for gutters pulled away from the fascia, loose downspouts, and siding panels that are cracked, unhooked or missing. These often show where the strongest gusts hit the house.

How can you check your roof safely after a storm?

Do the whole check from the ground. A wet, wind-damaged roof is slippery and loose shingles can slide underfoot, so there is no good reason for a homeowner to climb up after a storm.

Wait until the wind has fully died down and it is daylight. Before you walk the property, look for downed power lines, hanging branches and anything else overhead. Treat any wire on the ground as live, keep well away from it and report it to your utility.

Then walk all the way around the house:

1. Start with the yard. Pieces of shingle, ridge cap or metal on the lawn tell you something came off, even if you cannot spot the gap yet.
2. Look at each roof slope from a distance. Step back far enough to see the whole slope. Binoculars make creased or lifted shingles much easier to pick out.
3. Follow the edges. Scan the rakes, the eaves and the ridge line, since that is where wind gets under shingles first.
4. Check around everything that sticks through the roof. Chimneys, plumbing vents, exhaust vents and skylights should all look tight, with no bent or lifted metal.
5. Look at gutters, downspouts and siding on every side of the house.
6. Take photos as you go, including wide shots that show which side of the house you are on and close shots of anything that looks wrong.

An upstairs window with a view of the roof is also a safe place to look from. Just do not lean out or climb onto the roof from a window.

Why do creased shingles matter if nothing blew off?

A creased shingle has already lost its grip. Nails and a strip of sealant hold asphalt shingles down, and the sealant bonds each shingle to the one below it. When strong wind lifts a shingle hard enough to bend it, that bond usually breaks, and the shingle is far more likely to tear off in the next storm.

Homeowners miss this damage more than any other kind, because the roof looks complete. A creased shingle also lets wind-driven rain get underneath more easily. That is how a roof that survived one nor'easter starts leaking in the next one.

Creases can be hard to see from the ground, especially on darker shingles or on a slope that faces away from the street. If you spot a few, assume there may be more you cannot see. At that point it is worth having a roofer with the right safety equipment look at the roof up close.

Cold weather makes this worse. Shingle sealant needs warmth to bond, so shingles that come loose in a late fall or winter storm may not reseal on their own until the weather warms, if they reseal at all. Resealing or replacing them by hand is a small repair that prevents a much bigger one.

Where do nor'easter winds hit Long Island roofs hardest?

The edges, corners and ridges of a roof take the most wind. On Long Island, the slopes facing north and east often take the worst of a nor'easter. The National Weather Service explains that these storms are named for the northeast winds they bring to the coast, and that they are most frequent between September and April.

Unlike a quick summer thunderstorm, a nor'easter can blow for many hours, sometimes through more than one high tide. Hours of steady wind and gusts work shingles loose a little at a time, while the rain is driven sideways into any gap it finds.

A few local factors make some homes more exposed than others:

• South Shore and coastal homes in places like Long Beach, Freeport, Oceanside and Bay Shore get stronger wind off the water with less to block it. Salt air can also wear down fasteners and metal flashing over time.
• Older roofs have dried-out sealant strips and nails that have worked loose, so they lose shingles more easily than a newer roof.
• The style of the house matters. Cape Cods with dormers have more edges and valleys for wind to catch. Low ranch roofs and broad colonial gables have long, exposed rake edges.
• Mature trees, common on older residential streets, drop branches that scrape and puncture shingles even when the wind alone would not have done damage.

Knowing where to look first makes the walk-around faster and helps you catch small problems on the slopes that matter most.

What signs of storm damage should you look for inside?

Check the top floor of the house for new water stains, damp spots or bubbling paint on ceilings and on the upper parts of walls. Wind damage does not always leak right away, so look again after the next heavy rain.

Pay particular attention to:

• Ceilings directly under chimneys, skylights and plumbing vents
• The corners where exterior walls meet the ceiling
• The tops of window and door frames on upper floors
• Closets on exterior walls, which people rarely look in

Water often runs along the framing before it shows up, so a stain may appear some distance from where the roof was actually damaged. That is normal, and it is why a roofer needs to trace the source on the roof instead of guessing from inside. If water is actively coming through, put a bucket under it, move belongings out of the way and call a roofer for an emergency visit.

You found damage. What should you do next?

Document it, stop more water getting in if you can do so safely, and have a qualified roofer confirm what you are seeing. Act quickly: a small opening left through a few rainstorms can lead to wet decking and damaged ceilings.

1. Record everything

Keep your photos with their dates, and note which side of the house the damage is on. Save any shingle pieces you picked up from the yard. If you notice more damage over the following days, photograph that too.

2. Contact your insurance company if the damage is significant

Homeowners policies often cover sudden wind damage, but coverage, deductibles and claim deadlines differ between policies, so read yours or ask your agent. A roofer's written report with photos gives you something concrete to discuss with the adjuster. For a couple of creased shingles, a claim may not be worth it once you factor in your deductible, and that is your decision to make.

3. Get a temporary fix if the roof is open

If shingles are missing and underlayment or wood is exposed, the roof should be covered until it can be properly repaired. Emergency tarping is a job for a roofer with fall protection, not a homeowner on a ladder in the wind.

4. Be careful who you hire

After a big storm, door-knockers often show up in neighborhoods offering quick roof work. Ask for a written, itemized estimate and check the company's local address and reviews. Read anything carefully before you sign it. Be wary of anyone who wants full payment before work starts or pressures you to decide on the spot.

Does wind damage mean you need a new roof?

Usually not. Most wind damage after a nor'easter is limited to one section of the roof. Replacing missing or creased shingles, resetting ridge caps and refastening or replacing flashing is a normal roof repair. The cost depends on how many shingles are affected, how steep and easy to reach the roof is, whether flashing or decking needs work, and how easy it is to match your existing shingles.

Replacement is worth discussing when the damage is spread across several slopes, the decking underneath has gotten wet and soft, or the roof is near the end of its life and the shingles break as soon as they are lifted. Brittle older shingles often cannot be repaired cleanly, because the shingles around them crack when a roofer tries to work them loose.

Fix damage to the rest of the house at the same time. Loose or cracked panels can usually be fixed with a targeted siding repair. Gutters that pulled away from the fascia should be rehung or replaced so they drain properly before the next storm. Our gutter installation page explains what a properly pitched, securely hung system looks like.

If you are not sure what you are looking at, a free roof inspection takes about 45 minutes. You get a photo report showing what we found, including any storm damage worth bringing to your insurer. LaRocco Roofing & Siding serves homeowners across Long Island (Nassau County and Suffolk County) and Queens, NY. You can request an inspection online or call (516) 924-2050.

Related service: Roof Repair