Storm Damage Roof Repair in Airdrie

Airdrie’s storms: more than hail

Hail gets the headlines in Airdrie, and for good reason — the city sits inside Alberta’s hail corridor. But plenty of roof damage here comes from wind:

• Summer thunderstorms that bring downbursts and straight-line winds along with the hail
• Strong northwest winds sweeping across open farmland into the city’s exposed subdivisions
• Winter windstorms that hit shingles whose seal has weakened in the cold
• Chinook winds, which can be strong and gusty as they arrive

The June 13, 2020 storm that struck Calgary, Airdrie and Rocky View County is a reminder of what these storms can do: hail, wind and flooding rain together, with insured damage estimated at about $1.2 billion. Most storms are far smaller, but even an ordinary windy night can leave a roof with damage that gets worse each time the wind picks up.

For hail impact damage specifically, see hail damage roofing in Airdrie. This page covers the wind and debris damage that often comes with it — and often comes without it.

What storm damage looks like

Missing shingles. The obvious sign, usually from rake edges, ridges, corners and the side of the house facing the wind.

Creased and lifted shingles. Shingles bent back by the wind and then laid back down. The crease is a crack; the broken seal means the wind can grab it again.

Torn ridge caps. Ridge caps catch wind from both sides and often lift or tear first.

Bent and lifted flashing. Wall, chimney and valley flashing can be pried up by wind, opening a path for water.

Damaged vents. Box vents and exhaust caps can be loosened, dented or torn off.

Debris damage. Branches, fence panels, trampolines and other windborne objects can puncture or scrape a roof — especially in older, treed areas like Old Town.

Wind-driven water. Rain driven sideways can get under flashing and shingle edges that normal rain never reaches, causing leaks that appear only in storms.

Fallen trees and branches

Most of Airdrie’s newer subdivisions don’t have trees big enough to damage a roof yet. Older areas do, and so do properties on the rural edges of the city and around Crossfield and Balzac. When a branch or tree comes down on a roof:

• Stay out of rooms below the impact until the structure has been checked.
• Don’t try to remove it yourself. Large limbs on a roof can shift suddenly and are best handled by a tree service, often coordinated with the roof repair.
• Expect more than shingle damage. A heavy impact can crack rafters or trusses and break the deck, not just the shingles.

The roof repair follows once the debris is removed: damaged decking and framing are repaired or replaced, then the roof is rebuilt over it.

Why the same roofs keep getting damaged

Wind rarely tears a well-installed, well-sealed shingle off a roof. When the same roof loses shingles storm after storm, the cause is usually one of these:

• No starter strip along the rake edges, so the first shingle at the gable edge isn’t sealed down
• Nails set too high, above the shingle’s nailing zone, so each shingle is held by fewer fasteners
• Shingles that never sealed, common where roofs were installed in cold weather during Airdrie’s rapid build-out
• Exposure: homes on the edges of the city, such as the northwest edge of Reunion, and homes backing onto ponds and open space take the full force of the wind

A proper storm repair fixes these causes on the damaged areas, not just the missing shingles.

After a storm: what to do

1. Stay safe. Keep clear of downed power lines and don’t climb onto a wet or damaged roof.
2. Stop water if it’s coming in. Buckets, towels, move valuables. If water is pouring in, see emergency roof repair.
3. Note the date and time of the storm. Insurers match claims to weather events.
4. Photograph everything from the ground: shingles on the lawn, lifted edges, damaged vents, debris on the roof.
5. Book an inspection. Wind breaks seals on shingles that still look fine from below.
6. Contact your insurer once you know the extent of the damage.

Documenting wind damage for your claim

Wind claims are more straightforward when the paperwork is clear. The details that help most:

• The date and time of the storm, so the insurer can match your claim to the weather event
• Photos taken soon after the storm — shingles on the ground, lifted edges, damaged vents, debris
• Damage recorded by slope, especially on the sides facing the wind
• Evidence of interior damage, such as ceiling stains, with dates
• Receipts for any emergency protection

We provide slope-by-slope photos from our inspection so you have a clear record to share with your insurer.

How we repair storm damage

1. Inspect the whole roof, not just the obvious spot, with particular attention to the slopes facing the storm.
2. Document the damage by slope, with photos, for your insurer.
3. Make it watertight if needed, with temporary protection secured for the wind.
4. Repair the damaged areas: replace shingles and ridge caps, re-secure or replace flashing and vents, repair any deck damage from debris.
5. Fix the weak points: add rake starter, nail correctly and hand-seal surrounding shingles.
6. Advise honestly if the damage and the roof’s age make replacement the better option.

Repair, claim or replace?

• A few shingles, a young roof, below your deductible: a straightforward shingle repair.
• Widespread damage, or hail and wind together: likely an insurance claim. See hail damage roofing.
• An older roof that loses shingles every storm: a roof replacement with a high-wind installation and Class 4 shingles is usually better value than another repair.

What storm damage repair costs

For section repairs after wind or hail, see the roof repair cost guide; for replacement prices and every factor that moves them, the Airdrie roofing cost guide.

Storm repair across Airdrie

We repair storm damage across the city: wind-exposed roofs in Reunion, walkout and lake-lot homes in King’s Heights, duplex roofs in Hillcrest, classic roof lines in Cooper’s Crossing and treed lots in Old Town, plus Crossfield and Balzac. Not sure if the storm did anything? Book a roof inspection.