The roof is an easy target for one of Mother Nature’s most unpredictable and powerful forces — wind.
Strong winds can cause sudden, devastating roof damage when a severe storm moves through, but asphalt roof shingles can also be negatively impacted on windy days when there’s no rain, hail, sleet, or snow in the forecast.
If you’re concerned about potential roof damage from the wind on your asphalt shingle roof, here’s a crash course on why it happens, how to spot signs of roof damage, and the lowdown on asphalt roofing shingles that are specifically designed for wind resistance.
How Wind Interacts with an Asphalt Shingle Roof
Wind doesn’t always move in a steady, smooth stream — it swirls up, down, sideways and in circular patterns at various speeds in reaction to temperature and pressure differences in the Earth’s atmosphere, and variations in the land’s topography and terrain.
When wind encounters a structure such as your home, it acts in some fairly predictable ways:
Factors That Influence How Wind Affects Your Asphalt Shingle Roof
Several factors influence how wind may affect or damage your roof, including its speed and direction when it encounters your home, along with:
Signs of Wind Damage on Asphalt Shingle Roofs
Some signs of roof wind damage are more obvious than others. After a severe weather event, significant wind damage to a roof may be highly visible, such as:
Outdoor Evidence of Roof Damage
Walk your home’s perimeter to check for pieces of shingles and scan the roof for:
Indoor Evidence of Roof Damage
You can check for potential signs of wind damage inside your home by inspecting your attic and finished living areas. As always, keep safety in mind with anything you do. When going up into your attic be sure to have a sturdy walking path and wear appropriate protective gear. Again, if you’re unable to do this safely, please contact a professional roofing contractor.
How to check your attic for signs of roof damage:
In your finished living areas, look for discolored patches on the ceilings and walls that warn you that water is getting in through wind-damaged areas on the roof.
Asphalt Shingles Designed for Wind Resistance Can Help Minimize Your Risk of Roof Damage
The main methods of testing how a shingle performs when exposed to wind are standardized to help consumers choose a shingle that offers the greatest level of protection for their home.
Wind resistance is classified according to one or both standards published by ASTM International:
ASTM D3161
ASTM D3161, or the Standard Test Method for Wind Resistance of Steep Slope Roofing Products (Fan-Induced Method). This testing method measures a shingle’s ability to withstand fan-induced wind speeds and includes three classifications:
ASTM D7158
ASTM D7158, or the Standard Test Method for Wind Resistance of Sealed Asphalt Shingles (Uplift Force/Uplift Resistance Method). This standard assigns a classification to individual shingle products based on their resistance to uplift forces when tested at specific wind speeds:
Asphalt roofing shingles in the market generally all carry the same wind resistance classifications: ASTM D3161 Class F and ASTM D7158 Class H. However, warranted wind coverage varies by individual product, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s product information, warranty details, and installation guide.
A manufacturer’s installation guide and warranty details will specify how shingles must be installed in order to achieve warranted wind coverage for specific wind speeds.
Your city, town or municipal planning office can advise you on which level of resistance is needed to meet local building codes. Then, you simply must check the product label on a shingle’s wrapper to find its ASTM D3161 or ASTM D7158 wind resistance classification.
To learn more about our products designed for enhanced roof wind resistance, including our Duration® Series Shingles with patented SureNail® Technology, get in touch with us at Ohio Exteriors!
Source: Owens Corning
For patent information, please visit owenscorning.com/patents. Copyright 2020 Owens Corning. All Rights Reserved.
If you want top-quality products and uncompromising customer service, make Ohio Exteriors your trusted Columbus contractor today. Call us at
(614) 683-2267 or submit our online request form for more information.