Not to be confused with hurricane winds, high winds are another big problem for homeowners living in the Midwest. High winds are categorized as winds that exceed 50 or 60 miles per hour in speed, and can damage your roof, siding, and other parts of your home’s exterior in critical ways.

At XL Contracting, our expert roofers are dedicated to helping homeowners protect their home from high winds and other threats. In this guide, we’ll go over some of the facts about wind damage that all homeowners should know about—and the important ways to prevent, reduce wind damage to your home, as well as how to recover with top-quality roof replacement or repairs after disaster strikes.

What are the Dangers of Wind Damage?

High winds can devastate your home and property in a few important ways. Your roof, for example, can be damaged when high winds rip off the shingles and tiles either in spots or completely. When this happens, your roof runs the risk of forming holes in the construction, which will eventually lead to leaks. High winds over a period of time can actually weaken your roof construction, lifting the corners, shingles, sealant, and nails that hold down the materials until they fall off completely.

Another important way that high winds can damage your home is when they cause tree branches, exterior tables and furniture, and other heavy objects to fall on it. Many rooftops, siding, windows, and other exterior parts of the home are ruined after debris smashes into them, and this can be a very dangerous and damaging occurrence.

Has Your Home Been Affected by Wind Damage?

Wind damage can happen in an instant, or it can happen slowly over a period of time. Spotting damage quickly will give you the chance to reverse it and to prepare your home for future bouts with high winds. Whether you’re in need of small repairs or an entire roof replacement, the best thing to do is to be vigilant about maintenance and to act as quickly as possible to prevent further damage to your home.

Here are some of the most common signs of wind damage that you can look for in your home:

  • Missing Shingles, Tiles, and Roof Materials
  • Curled or Bent Shingles
  • Leaking Inside Your House After Rain
  • Lifted Nails or Nails Popping Out of Roof Construction
  • Shingle Materials Found in the Gutters

Recognizing these signs of wind damage requires careful and constant maintenance of your roof construction. Also, pay attention to your home’s siding for cracks, splits, leaking, or curling, and replace cracked windows immediately with stronger, double, triple, or quadruple-pane products to reinforce your home’s safety during high winds. Another important way to prevent damage to your home during high winds is to keep heavy furniture away from your home and to trim your trees and remove heavy trees that are too close to your roof and exterior construction.

Exterior Repairs, Roof Replacement, and Installations

If you live in Illinois, you are probably aware of how important it is to take good care of your home and property. Superior quality products, excellent installations, and proper maintenance will give your home the edge it needs to stand up against strong winds and other severe weather conditions that come along with living in the Midwest.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can protect your home and investment from wind damage and other concerns, our expert Illinois roofers would be happy to hear from you. Give us a call to speak with our roofing contractors over the phone now or fill out our online form to request a free, in-home pricing estimate and consultation.