Regardless of where you live, you can experience storms bad enough to damage your home. A lot of storm damage is evident soon afterward, but some damage doesn’t appear until a little later.
Here are nine signs of roof damage from a storm that you should look for.
Leaky Gutters
Leaky gutters can damage your roof, sure, but if your gutters were okay before a storm and are leaky now, chances are, you’ve sustained storm damage.
Inspect your gutters not just for damage, but also for clogs after a storm. Severe weather can send all kinds of debris into your gutters, clogging them and causing damage over time in addition to any immediate damage.
Missing, Cracked, and Broken Shingles
These are sure signs you’ve sustained storm damage, particularly from storms with hail and high winds. You should have no problem seeing this kind of damage from the ground, even if you have a complex roofline.
You shouldn’t get onto your roof immediately after a damaging storm, but you can walk around your property and inspect your roof for missing, cracked, and broken shingles that way.
Shingle “Crumbs”
Asphalt shingles, which are popular in many places around the country, can crumble in storms. These crumbs will usually appear in your gutters, but they might have spread out like sprinkles around your property as well.
They’re a sign that your shingles aren’t all in one piece after a storm, though.
Missing or Damaged Flashing
Flashing is the metal strips around openings in your roof, like a chimney. It sends water down your roof and safely into your gutters, preventing water from infiltrating your sub-roof.
If it’s missing or damaged after a storm, you have roof damage, and chances are you have more damage than that. You might need a ladder to check the flashing on your roof, but again, until you know your roof is safe, don’t climb up there alone.
Cracked and Missing Vents
Your roof should have a vent along the ridge and possibly other vents, too. High winds and hail can damage those vents and potentially rip them off, depending on where they are, what materials they use, and how secure they are.
While you’re walking around your property to check for other roof damage, pay attention to your vents. Even if you see nothing else, damaged vents indicate other possible damage, too.
Other Property Damage
Your house, your lot, and your neighbors’ property can all indicate whether you have roof damage. When a storm is bad enough to bring down tree branches (or whole trees), damage your cars or those of your neighbors, or cause other damage, you probably have a damaged roof as well.
The conditions of your neighbors’ roofs can also serve as a sign of storm damage. If they have missing shingles, damaged gutters, or other signs of roof damage, you may, too.
Water Damage
Depending on how bad the damage is, you might start seeing water damage inside fairly soon after a storm. Wet spots or spots that look darker than usual in your ceilings and walls indicate water’s coming in through your roof.
If that wasn’t happening before the storm, you sustained some pretty serious damage and you should call a roof repair company to come do an inspection and perform repairs.
Stains, Mold Growth, and Other Attic Problems
Sometimes, you have damage that isn’t apparent until later. But stains, mold (especially in your ceiling and attic), and other problems in your ceilings or attic can indicate roof damage, especially if you endured a bad storm recently.
Hidden Damage
Not all damage is readily apparent, and sometimes you only realize you have roof damage later as you discover stains, mold, and other problems. In that case, you should call a roofing repair company because their inspectors can find damage you may not have seen.
That includes damage to the underlayment, cracked seams, and the like. They can assess the severity of the damage and repair it as needed.
Final Thoughts
After you have a severe storm go through your area, check your property for damage, including any of these nine signs of roof damage. Depending on how bad the storm was, your roof may not be safe for you to repair yourself, or the repairs may be beyond your skill level.
In any event, you should contact a roofing company like ours to perform a thorough inspection and complete any repairs you need.