Severe coastal weather, sudden downpours, and high-velocity winds put immense stress on your home’s roof. After a major storm rolls through your area, checking your property for damage should be at the very top of your to-do list.

While some storm damage is incredibly obvious—like a fallen tree limb—most roofing vulnerabilities are subtle and can easily go unnoticed until they cause a massive internal leak.

For your safety, never climb onto a wet or potentially compromised roof yourself. Instead, use this safe, ground-level checklist to look for signs that you need a professional roofing inspection:

1. Inspect the Yard for Shingle Debris

Walk around the perimeter of your home and look closely at the ground. Do you see pieces of shingles, torn underlayment, or metal flashing scattered in your yard? High winds can catch the edges of weakened shingles, lifting them up and tearing them completely off your roof, leaving your wooden decking entirely exposed to the elements.

2. Check for Missing, Lifted, or “Creased” Shingles

Grab a pair of binoculars and scan your roof lines from the ground. Look for:

• Bald spots: Areas where shingles have blown away.
• Lifted shingles: Shingles that are still attached but have broken their sealant strip and are flipping upward.
• Creased shingles: Shingles that were bent backwards by the wind, breaking the fiberglass mat inside. These are no longer waterproof.

3. Look for Heavy Granule Loss in Your Gutters

Check the downspouts of your gutters for piles of small, dark granules that look like coarse sand. Shingles shed these protective granules when they are hit hard by hail or battered by heavy debris. Without these granules, the underlying asphalt is exposed to harsh UV rays, which causes the shingles to rapidly dry out, crack, and fail.

4. Look at Your Ceiling and Attic Space

The final check happens indoors. Take a flashlight into your attic and look for damp rafters, wet insulation, or daylight peeking through the roof boards. Walk through your living spaces and check top-floor ceilings for water rings or bubbling paint.

Let Us Handle the Heavy Lifting

If you spot any of these warning signs, time is of the essence. At MB Roofing, we specialize in comprehensive storm damage inspections and structural restoration. We will provide you with a detailed digital photo report of our findings to help streamline your insurance claims process.

Was your area recently hit by a storm? Contact MB Roofing to book your free, professional storm damage assessment.