St Cloud. Little Falls. Alexandria. Brainerd. All of these areas in Minnesota are beautiful places to call home – so long as you’re prepared for storms. That big Midwestern sky loves testing homeowners’ and business owners’ roofs with powerful wind, heavy hail and tumbling debris. You better make sure your roof is up to the challenge!
Let’s take a look at the ways storm weather can harm asphalt shingles, and then explain how an industry leader’s shingles are designed to shrug off that damage. You’ll be armed with knowledge!
How Does Storm Weather Damage Shingles?
Wind. Hail. Impact. These are the three biggest weapons a storm has at its disposal when it decides to wage war against a rooftop.
- Wind. If they aren’t fastened securely enough, even newly installed shingles can get pried off the decking by wind gusts. Extreme wind damage can peel shingles clean off the roof – a problem that is easy enough for any layman to detect. Lighter wind damage may only break the adhesive seal that allows a shingle to shed water safely. If a horizontal line appears on a shingle’s surface just below where it is overlapped, that likely indicates damage to the seal which joins it to the overlying shingle.
- It’s easy to tell when it’s hailing. The noisy meteorological phenomenon makes no secret of its occurrence. Unfortunately, hail damage is not always so obvious. You may notice distinctive, randomly placed indentations on your shingles – clear signs that hailstones have left permanent marks. But some evidence of hail damage, such as cracking and bruising, are only detectable by an experienced roofing contractor. Alternatively, hail damage may only be evident from the accumulation of loose granules inside gutters and near downspouts. Hail-damaged shingles cannot effectively stop rain and meltwater from accessing the decking, which is why a roof inspection is necessary following each significant hailstorm.
- Impact. Wind speeds as low as 39 mph are still fast enough to knock branches off of trees. When a branch or other windborne projectile collides with a roof, it can strike with sufficient energy to indent, crack or completely remove any number of shingles. Take care that objects can easily roll off a pitched roof after hitting it. If you see a branch lying on the ground near your home after a storm, there is a good chance it damaged your roof prior to arriving there.
How Do Shingles Stand Up to Storm Damage?
As the state of Minnesota’s largest installer of Atlas products, the Exterior Pro team has had ample opportunity to observe just how well the American company’s shingles withstand storm damage. Atlas shingles’ superior resilience comes from several carefully engineered and integrated features!
- HP42 Technology. Atlas’s ProLam, StormMaster and Pinnacle series shingles can remain securely anchored to a roof deck even when wind speeds reach 150 mph (which is even higher than the fastest wind gust ever recorded in the state of Minnesota). That is the power of HP42 technology, which combines a wider shingle format with an enhanced Sweet Spot nailing area that facilitates attachment.
- Core4 Technology. Atlas’s StormMaster and Pinnacle series shingles are UL 2218 Class 4 impact-resistant. That means they are able to endure impact with massive 2 inch hailstones without showing any signs of cracking or fracturing on their back sides. Thanks to Core4 Technology’s enhanced polymer composition and hard-wearing double FASTAC adhesive sealant, Atlas shingles are even able to withstand impact with light branches without becoming worse for wear.
- 3M Smog-Reducing Granules. Atlas’s Pinnacle series shingles receive even greater protection against the elements thanks to their state-of-the-art granules. They are imbued with antimicrobial copper and encompassed by rugged ceramic coating, which deters algae growth and ensures longer-lasting storm protection many years after installation.
Would you like to invest in a roof that is purpose-built to stand up to violent storms? If your home or commercial property is located in the greater St Cloud, Little Falls, Alexandria or Brainerd, MN areas then we welcome you to contact Exterior Pro today to request your free inspection and estimate! Our Haag certified team also offers full-service storm damage inspection, repair and replacement that will restore your property’s entire exterior to its best condition.