Roof Repair Guide
Shingles Blown Off in Wayne, NJ? A Roof Repair Guide for After the Wind
A few shingles missing or lifted after a windy night is usually a roof repair, not a new roof. The exposed spot should be covered or fixed soon, though, because the layer under the shingles is not built to be the roof on its own.
If you found shingle pieces in the yard after a storm in Wayne, NJ, this guide covers what to check from the ground, how quickly a roof repair should happen, and what a proper fix for wind damage involves. Wayne is a township in Passaic County with a number of lakes, among them Packanack Lake, Pines Lake and Lions Head Lake, according to its Wikipedia entry.
Why shingles come off in the wind
An asphalt shingle is held by nails and by a strip of factory sealant that bonds it to the shingle below once the sun warms it. When that bond is good, wind has very little to grab. Shingles tend to let go when the bond never formed or has failed:
- Shingles installed late in the year that never got a warm stretch to seal
- Older shingles whose sealant has dried out and released
- Nails driven too high, too few per shingle, or at an angle, so the shingle pivots instead of holding
- Edges of the roof, where wind pulls hardest: the ridge caps along the top, the rake edges at the gable ends and the first rows above the gutters
- Spots that were patched before with mismatched or unsealed shingles
The tab in the photo above is a typical example. The shingle tore and folded back, and the sealant line on the course below it is plain to see.
What to check from the ground
Stay off the roof, especially when it is wet or windy. Most of this you can see from the yard, from an upstairs window or by zooming in on a phone photo:
- Shingle pieces or whole tabs in the yard, the driveway or the gutters
- A patch of a different color on the slope, often black or gray felt or synthetic underlayment showing through
- Tabs that are lifted, curled up or flapping when the wind picks up
- A straight crease across a shingle. A crease means the tab bent back in the wind and the seal broke, even if the shingle dropped back into place
- Missing ridge caps along the top of the roof
Inside, check the ceilings under the damaged slope and, if you can get into the attic safely, look for damp spots on the underside of the roof deck or daylight around the nails.
Take dated photos of everything you find. They help the roofer, and they help if you decide to talk to your insurer.
Will the roof leak if a few shingles are gone?
Not always right away. The underlayment beneath the shingles sheds some water, which is why many homeowners see no stain after the first rain. But underlayment is a backup layer. Sun breaks it down, nail holes from the missing shingle are left open, and wind-driven rain can push water sideways under the courses around the gap.
The longer a spot stays open, the more chance water reaches the roof deck, where it can rot the wood and stain ceilings. Treat missing shingles as something to fix within days, not months. If water is already coming in, go to our emergency roof repair in Wayne page, which covers temporary protection until the permanent repair can be done.
What a proper wind damage repair includes
Gluing the old tab back down or nailing a single new shingle over the gap rarely lasts. A repair that holds usually involves these steps:
- Lifting the neighboring courses carefully so the new shingles can be nailed under them, the way the roof was built
- Replacing creased shingles as well as the missing ones, because a creased shingle has already lost its seal
- Nailing to the shingle maker's instructions for placement and count
- Hand-sealing the repaired shingles when the weather is too cool for the factory strip to bond on its own
- Checking the ridge caps, the rake edges and the rest of that slope while the ladder is up
Expect a color difference. Shingle lines change and older colors get discontinued, so a repaired patch can look different from a roof that has weathered for years. Ask to see the replacement shingle before it goes on.
GAF's technical bulletin on replacing storm-damaged shingles says the same thing in its own words: repair can involve individual shingles or larger areas, and damage next to the obvious spot can change the scope. So expect the roofer to look over the whole slope before quoting.
On our roof repair in Wayne visits we photograph what we find, write up the scope, and back each repair with our 2-year roof repair warranty. We install GAF and Owens Corning roofing systems.
When missing shingles point to a bigger problem
Sometimes the wind is telling you about the age of the roof. A repair may not be the best spend if:
- The shingles crack when they are lifted, because they have gone brittle
- Shingles have come off on more than one slope, or in more than one storm
- Many tabs across the roof are unsealed, not just the ones that blew off
- There are already patches from earlier repairs
Our guide on whether to repair or replace your roof walks through that decision, and the roof replacement in Wayne page covers what a full replacement involves.
Insurance after a wind storm
Whether wind damage is covered depends on your policy, so call your insurer before you assume either way. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance recommends prompt notice, photos of the damage and receipts for any temporary repairs. Our roof storm damage guide goes through the claim steps in more detail, and the storm damage roof repair in Wayne page covers the documentation we provide.
When to call
Call if you see missing shingles, creased or lifted tabs, missing ridge caps or a new stain under the damaged slope. Four Seasons Roofing and Construction repairs wind-damaged roofs across Wayne, from our base in Clifton, and you can see everything we do in the township on our Wayne roofing page. The inspection is free, and you get photos and a written estimate before any work starts.