What does a windstorm usually do to a roof?
It lifts tabs, creases shingles, bends flashing and loosens the ridge and the vent lines, and it can drive debris into the valleys and gutters.
Wind works at the edges and the joints first. A tab lifts at the lower edge, a ridge cap comes away at its seam and flashing bends where the wind gets under it. The windward slopes take most of the force, and the damage often runs along one side of the house more than the other.
Debris matters too. A branch that lands on the covering can crease or crack shingles, and a fence panel can strike the gutter line. The inspection records each mark with its position.
- Lifted and creased tabs on the windward slopes
- Ridge caps and vent lines loosened at the seams
- Flashing bent where wind gets underneath
How is wind damage told apart from moss and age?
By the pattern and the freshness. Wind damage clusters on the exposed side and looks sharp; moss and age spread across the roof and look worn.
Moss sits in shade and along the north side and holds water against the surface. Age shows as general wear that follows the orientation of the slopes. Wind damage is sharp and recent, and it tends to sit on the slopes that faced the storm.
A roofer compares the windward side with the sheltered side and writes any unclear mark as unclear rather than deciding for the homeowner.
- Compare the exposed side with the sheltered side
- Look for sharp, recent creases rather than general wear
- Record unclear marks as unclear
What can a windstorm inspection not tell you?
It cannot promise a claim outcome, the age of the damage or the future life of a covering. It describes the roof on the day.
An inspection is a dated look at the roof. It does not decide what a policy pays, how long a lifted tab will hold or whether a crease will fail under the next storm. Those questions belong to the policy and the insurer, and the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation handles insurance complaints.
It also cannot see every area. A crease that has not yet split may hold for a time and then fail, so the roofer names the areas to check again.
- A dated look, not a forecast
- The insurer decides under the policy
- Uncertain areas named for a later check
What should the homeowner do with the record?
Keep it with the storm date and the photographs, send a copy to the insurer if a claim is made, and keep the original for any later repair or sale.
Keep the record with the date of the storm, the photographs and the list of areas not reached. If a claim is made, send the insurer a copy and keep a copy of everything sent. Ask the roofer to sign or date the summary.
The record helps any later roof decision too. A roof with a documented windstorm inspection is easier to repair, price and sell.
- The record kept with the storm date
- A copy of everything sent to an insurer
- A signed or dated summary from the roofer
