Asphalt shingles are by far the most common and the most popular roofing material across the nation – wherever you travel in the country, you will see that most buildings use asphalt shingles. The material is the preferred choice of most homeowners for the wonderful qualities that it offers – asphalt shingles are affordable, durable and attractive, they are easy to install and easy to maintain, too. However, even the best roofing material can give in in font of excessively strong winds, so if you want to benefit of the great features offered by your shingle roof and you also want to protect it against the high winds associated with strong storms, here is some help for you.

How Wind Can Damage Your Shingles

Asphalt shingles consist of a fiberglass tab between a layer of cermic material on the bottom and a layer of mineral granules on the top for weatherproofing. Strong winds can damage any of the three layers as well as the fasteners used for fixing the tabs onto the roofing structure – here are some of the most common ways that wind damage occurs:

• The shingle tabs can be lifted or even completely torn away by high winds;
• The wind can loosen the roofing nails that keep the tabs in place, causing leaks to appear;
• The wind can also break the adhesive layer used for fixing the tabs;
• The debris carried by the wind can fall on the roof and cause impact damage;
• High winds can break the large limbs or the branches of the trees surrounding the roof and drop the debris onto the roof, cracking or tearing the shingles.

Measures to Prevent Wind Damage

While not all wind damage can be prevented, a strong and healthy roof is able to endure more hassle than a weakened and neglected roof. The best way to minimize the probability of damage to your shingles is to maintain the roof regularly and to address whatever fault you notice in the timeliest manner possible. Ideally, you should have a roofing contractor Minneapolis has perform a detailed inspection of your shingle roof at least twice a year and you should also check it after each major storm. During the inspection, you should look for torn, cracked, curling and buckling shingles and then you should extend the inspection to the flashing around the openings on your roof and to the gutter pipes, checking these important and sensitive areas for damage and accumulated debris. Any damage that you find needs to be fixed as soon as possible, especially in periods when storms are increasingly frequent and you can expect the next extreme event to hit soon.

If moving around on roofs is not your thing or if you would be happier knowing that your roof is maintained and repaired by a professional, you can hire a local roofer for the job – professional maintenance services are not expensive and they will give you the peace of mind that your roof is in top shape and able to face harsh weather.