What do Santa Ana winds do to a roof?
Santa Ana winds are strong, dry, offshore winds that push hard against the windward edge of a roof. They lift the tabs of shingles, work the nails loose and bend metal flashing, and the damage is usually worst at the eave, the rake and the ridge.
Wind pressure builds under the edge of a roof. When the wind finds a lifted tab, it gets underneath and pulls harder, so one lifted shingle can start a line of others. A roof that has aged and dried out is more likely to crack along the lift line rather than bend back into place.
The dryness matters too. Dry wind pulls moisture out of the sealant and the shingle mat, so the material is more brittle when the wind arrives. A crew checking the roof after a Santa Ana event looks at the tabs for cracks as well as for lift.
Why are the edges checked first after a wind event?
Wind pressure is highest at the edges and the corners of a roof, so the edges show lifted shingles and loose flashing first. A crew starts there because a lifted edge is the most likely place for a leak and the easiest place for the next gust to take more material.
The eave, the rake and the ridge are the three places to check. The eave is where the first course of shingles meets the gutter, the rake is the sloping edge at the gable, and the ridge is the top of the roof where the caps sit.
A crew also checks the corners where the slopes meet a wall, because wind swirls there and can loosen the flashing even when the open slope looks sound.
Can I check the roof myself after a windy night?
From the ground you can look for missing or displaced shingles, bent flashing and debris in the yard. Do not climb onto the roof, and do not try to lift or reset shingles. A crew can check the roof safely and carry out the repair.
Walk around the house and look at the roof edges with binoculars or from a distance. Note which side of the house took the most wind and whether any shingle pieces or flashing are on the ground. Take photographs from the ground, dated and labeled by side.
Check the attic from inside after the wind, in daylight, for daylight through the boards or new stains near the eave. Report what you see to the crew, so it can start at the right place.
How do I keep a roof ready for the next wind season?
Check the edges, the ridge caps and the flashing before the wind season, and again after a strong event. Clear the gutters and keep the trees and loose items away from the roof. Early attention keeps a small lift from becoming a large repair.
A short check in the autumn, before the Santa Ana season, shows which tabs or caps are already lifting and gives the crew time to reset them on a calm day. The same check after any strong wind shows what the storm did while it is still easy to see.
Trees near the roof can drop limbs in strong wind, and a branch that strikes the edge can bend flashing or crack a cap. Keeping branches clear of the roof reduces that risk, and the crew can point out which limbs are a concern.
What affects the scope of a wind repair?
The scope depends on how many tabs and caps are lifted, whether the shingles still bend or have become brittle, the state of the flashing and the access to the edges. No price figure is printed here, and the price is explained and approved before work starts.
A wind repair that resets sound tabs is quick compared with one that replaces brittle shingles along a whole eave. The crew tests the material before deciding, and it shows you the lifted areas and the reason for the choice.
Access to the edges matters on a steep or high roof. A crew that needs scaffolding or a harness to reach the rake will plan the time and the safety equipment, and the quote reflects that.
