Your roof protects your home from weather elements, debris and pests. However, after a storm or excessive wear and tear, you may discover a few patches of missing shingles.
If you find fallen shingles on your lawn or gaps in your roof, you’ll need to repair your property as soon as possible to prevent further damage. Here are some tips for what to do when you notice shingles falling off your roof to safeguard your investment and stay safe.
Why Shingles Would Fall off Your Roof
Review the common reasons why you might notice shingles off the roof to figure out what happened to your property.
Storm Damage
In Raleigh, North Carolina, and the surrounding areas, your neighborhood may experience fast-moving clouds and intermittent thunderstorms. An intense storm could bruise and weaken your shingles until they fall off the roof. When it’s safe to go outside, check your roof for visible signs of golf-ball-sized dents or gaps in your row of shingles.
You may also want to pay attention to fallen debris that could hold moisture and create a burden on your roof. If your property has any significant storm damage, consider consulting a professional to help you prepare for future inclement weather by repairing your roof.
High Winds
Even high-quality shingles can get blown off the roof in significantly windy conditions. The pieces on the edge of your roof tend to be the most vulnerable to heavy gusts because they’re often already loose. Fallen trees can also land on the top of your house and loosen your weak shingles. After a night of strong wind blowing through your neighborhood, when it’s safe to go outside, inspect your roof for ripped or missing shingles, and consult a professional if you notice any damage.
Old Age
Asphalt shingles tend to last a couple of decades, but if they’re older than that, the material may dry out and crack, reducing their integrity and resistance to harsh weather conditions. As a result, the protective surface granules can wear out, and the pieces might begin to curl, becoming so brittle that they fall off the roof.
If you can’t remember the last time you installed new roofing, or you recently moved into a new home and you’re unsure about the age of the roof, the shingles may have lost their quality.
Potential Issues With Shingles Falling off Your Roof
A few missing shingles are relatively simple to replace, but if you leave those gaps on your roof for too long, they can cause more significant damage, such as the following unpleasant conditions.
Water Leaks
If shingles have blown off of the roof, will it leak? A roof will leak without shingles because even a tiny crack leaves your property exposed to rainfall. This moisture can soak through the underlayment and get inside your home.
Water leaks produce brown stains on your ceiling, intermittent dripping and spots on exterior walls. As you inspect your house, you may also discover weakened floorboards, a moist foundation or wet attic insulation. Contact a local professional roofer as soon as possible before the water spreads to other parts of your living space.
Mold
When the wooden foundational elements of your roof get wet and start to rot, bacteria and mold may grow. These organisms produce unpleasant odors and can reduce your home’s air quality. Having mold in the house can make breathing more challenging for those who suffer from allergies or asthma.
Besides your roof’s structural components, water can also allow mold to develop on your walls, flooring, insulation and furniture. This fungus eats through the wood in your home and causes severe and costly degeneration to the wooden beams and joists.
Dry Rot
Along with mold, your roof is also vulnerable to another type of fungus that causes dry rot in warm climate regions. Missing shingles can expose part of your roof to excess humidity and intense UV rays, providing the ideal environment for these fungi to develop. As a result, the organisms spread over the wooden foundational elements of your roof and weaken their integrity.
When these components crack and lose their quality, they’re vulnerable to further damage that can affect the whole house. Even if you live in a warm climate, consider replacing your missing shingles as soon as possible so you don’t have to deal with more expensive repairs.
Pest Infestations
Besides water leaks, missing shingles also leave your home vulnerable to pests and insects. Gaps in your roof provide easy access into your cozy home, allowing rodents and bugs to slip inside and set up a nest. Rodents can chew through wires and spread disease-carrying waste all over your property, and insects can contaminate your food supply if they wander into your pantry, looking for a snack. You can keep these unwanted critters out by replacing your roof’s shingles as soon as possible.
Structural Damage
The moisture from rainfall on the roof can infiltrate your house and weaken the foundation and structural beams. Since these elements contain wood, they can soften and rot when exposed to water, resulting in significant, permanent destruction.
As the framing for your house loses its ability to support the weight, you may notice wall breakage, foundation cracking and roof caving. This issue is terrifying to experience and expensive to repair, but you can avoid unnecessary costs by replacing your missing shingles to keep out water.
Weatherproofing Damage
Under your roofing shingles, you have weatherproofing materials that protect your home from unwanted drafts and moisture. If the shingles covering these components fall off, fluctuating temperatures can wear down their weatherproofing quality, causing them to condense or stretch.
After these layers suffer wear and tear from humidity and direct sunlight, they won’t offer your property the same protection. Your home may not be as comfortable during harsh weather conditions, and your hardwood floors and structural beams can become more sensitive to warping and cracking from fluctuating temperatures.
Energy Loss
Asphalt shingles can help keep your house cooler because they reflect the sun’s UV rays. However, if your roof is missing some shingles, the sun can beat down on your home and make your indoor living space warmer in the summer. Outdoor elements can also weaken your insulation and cause heat loss throughout your whole house in the winter. As a result, you may feel drafts in each room and overall discomfort when it’s hot or cold outside.
Over the next few months, you may notice an increase in your energy bills. If your home has drafts, your HVAC system will have to work harder to maintain your indoor air temperature. To save money in the long term, you can contact a professional to repair your roof.
Expensive Repairs
Replacing the fallen shingles is less expensive and time-consuming than changing out your whole roof. If you leave the gaps on the top of your house for a long time, your property can suffer from further damage, and you may have to pay even more money to fix it. Even though it’s easier to ignore it, you may want to reapply the few shingles that have blown off instead of letting your home’s foundation, framing and insulation deteriorate from weather and heat damage.
A Decrease in Property Value
Your roof makes up a significant portion of your house’s exterior, and it’s one of the first elements people notice when they pull up to the curb. When you have a high-quality, eye-catching roof, it can enhance your property’s value and encourage potential homebuyers to visit your house. However, when you have missing or broken shingles on your property, it can deter people from going inside.
If a prospective buyer notices a faulty roof during an open house, they may try to calculate how much money they’ll have to pay to get a new roof. They may also be concerned about hidden issues in your house, such as water leaks and structural damage. On the other hand, a brand-new roof gives potential homebuyers the confidence that you’ve taken care of your home.
What to Do When Shingles Fall off Your Roof
If you notice that shingles have fallen off your roof and landed in your yard, you can follow these steps to restore your property.
Contact a Professional to Conduct an Inspection
Before reaching out to a roofing specialist, walk around your property and look for missing shingles and fallen debris, so you know what kind of help you need. After you’ve checked your roof from the ground, consult your local expert roofer to inspect your damaged roof from above.
Our team can help assess the damage and decide how to move forward toward fixing your roof. We have experience dealing with storm damage and outdated materials, so we know what to look for when examining your property and considering possible solutions. To achieve accurate results while remaining on the ground, we provide a drone inspection that allows us to view your roof from an aerial perspective.
Make a Claim With Your Insurance Company
If a storm blew shingles off your roof, you might want to file a claim with your homeowners insurance provider. Most insurance companies cover roofing repairs and replacements as a result of storm damage. If you choose our roof repair or replacement services, we’ll also help you file an insurance claim for your property to ease the burden of remembering all the components that we’ll need to fix.
Since we’re a family-owned company, we seek to provide the same care that we want to receive. After we’ve inspected your roof and discovered which issues we need to repair, we’ll contact your insurance company to begin collaborating with them. When you meet with your adjuster, we’ll come to your appointment with you to provide an accurate assessment of the damage and discuss how we’ll get reimbursed. After we’ve completed your services, we’ll receive a check from the insurance company to cover all expenses at no cost to you.
Repair Worn or Damaged Shingles
If your roof is relatively new and just a few shingles have blown off in the wind, you may only need to make minor repairs. Contact your local roofing professional to replace the few shingles you’ve lost. Keep in mind that if you apply a few new shingles, they may not be the same color as your old ones. However, if you’ve recently replaced your roof, you can be confident that your roof’s structural elements are intact.
Besides shingles damaged from the storm, you may also replace shingles that have fallen off from excessive wear and tear over the years. You may want to check your records to find out when your roof was installed. If it’s been a while since you had a roofing replacement, consider upgrading the aged, worn-out shingles to make your home look brand new. This solution is practical if you want to sell your house soon, and you don’t want to spend the money on an entirely new roof.
Replace Your Whole Roof
If your roof is more than a decade old and starting to shed its shingles, you may want to consider replacing the whole structure. Even though it may be less expensive to repair the few pieces that have gone missing, you’ll need to replace the entire roof if you notice any damage to the foundation underneath it, such as the flashing, underlayment, soffit and fascia. Leaving your home exposed to the elements could cost you even more money to repair your attic, ceilings and walls.
The roof replacement process involves removing all the old shingles and the foundational elements underneath them and installing new components. Replacing the wooden components under the shingles ensures that your home doesn’t have any residual water damage. After our initial inspection, we’ll help you decide whether you should repair or replace your roof, and we’ll give you a fair estimate for a new roof based on your home’s square footage.
Prevent Future Roof Damage
Whether you’ve installed a new roof or replaced the damaged shingles, you want to make sure your roof withstands the next storm that comes through town. Consider cleaning out the gutters so water and debris don’t collect on top of your house. Walking on your roof can also damage your shingles besides being a safety hazard, so try to avoid stepping on this part of your property. It’s also a good idea to inspect your roof and remove debris at least once every season.
Besides following these preventative tips, you can also invest in our roofing maintenance program. Every month, we’ll inspect your roof and make any necessary repairs to maintain your home’s clean, updated appearance. If you eventually need a roof replacement, we’ll discuss your options with you before we start working on it, so you can ultimately make the decision.
Contact Scro’s Roofing to Repair Your Fallen Roof Shingles
If your roof has recently lost a few shingles, we’ll help you restore your property so it looks like new. As a proud GAF Master Elite® company that serves Raleigh, North Carolina, and the surrounding areas, we’ll replace your missing pieces with our high-quality products. For more information about our roofing services, feel free to submit an online contact form or call 919-551-5104.
