What’s Happening

When wind pulls shingles off a roof, the waterproof layer underneath – the underlayment – is exposed, and rain can reach your roof deck within the next storm. This is an active leak risk, not a cosmetic problem.

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Asphalt shingles are held down by two things: nails and an adhesive sealant strip that runs along the bottom edge of each shingle. When either one fails, wind gets under the tab, lifts it, and at a high enough gust, peels it off completely. What you’re left with is bare felt paper or synthetic underlayment – sometimes even raw plywood decking – open to the sky. The shingles themselves are gone and replaceable. The real question is what happened underneath them, and whether the decking took any water before you noticed.

Why It Happens

The sealant strip dried out or never fully bonded

Every asphalt shingle has a factory-applied sealant strip that is supposed to heat-activate and bond to the shingle below it. If the roof was installed in cold weather, that bond may have never fully set. On an older roof, the sealant simply dries out over time and loses its grip. The tell is this: if the shingles came off whole and relatively clean – no torn mat, no broken tabs – a failed sealant strip is usually the reason.

The shingles were under-nailed or nailed in the wrong zone

Manufacturer specs call for nails to be driven through a specific nailing zone, typically a narrow band across the middle of each shingle. Nails placed too high or too low dramatically reduce wind resistance. On a roof where you see shingles torn off but the nail holes stayed in place, improper nailing is often what happened. This is an installation error, and it tends to show up across a section rather than in one isolated spot.

The shingles were at the end of their rated lifespan

Standard three-tab shingles are typically rated for around 20 to 25 years; architectural shingles longer. As shingles age, they lose flexibility, the granules that protect the mat wear off, and the tabs become brittle. A windstorm that a newer roof shrugs off can strip an aging roof bare. If the shingles that came off feel chalky, thin, or crumbly at the edges, age is a major factor.

Wind got under a lifted starter course or compromised edge flashing

The starter strip – the first row of shingles along the eave and rake edges – is the foundation every other course depends on. If it was cut short, installed without sealant, or the metal drip edge was not overlapped correctly, wind finds the gap and works its way underneath. You’ll notice this pattern when the missing shingles are clustered along the lower edge or the sides of the roof rather than scattered across the field.

What to Do Right Now

• Stay off the roof. A wet or wind-damaged roof is unstable. Wet underlayment is slippery, and decking that has taken water may be soft. The visual inspection you need, you can do from the ground or a window.
• Photograph everything from the ground. Walk the perimeter and take photos of every missing shingle section, any visible underlayment, and any areas where decking is exposed. Note the time and date – this documentation matters for insurance.
• Check your attic right now. Go into the attic with a flashlight and look for any daylight coming through, dark water stains on the decking, or wet insulation. If you see daylight or active dripping, the breach is already open.
• Move valuables away from ceiling areas that feel soft or show water staining. If you see a bulge in your drywall ceiling, that’s standing water between the ceiling and the roof deck. Do not poke it without a bucket underneath.
• Call your local Crestview Roofing team before you start any DIY patching. A tarp placed incorrectly can trap moisture and cause more deck damage. Let the technician assess first and document what they find – it protects your insurance claim.

How We Fix It

When your local Crestview Roofing team arrives, the technician starts with a full inspection of the affected sections – not just the bare spots, but the courses around them – because shingles that are still in place but no longer bonded are the next ones to go. They’ll check the underlayment condition, probe for any soft decking, and document everything with before photos as part of The Relay Visibility Guarantee.

From there, the repair path is usually roof repair for localized wind damage or roof replacement if the storm revealed that the shingles were already at end of life and widespread. You’ll get a written price before any work starts – the number on the estimate is the number on the invoice, no changes at the door. Materials are sourced from manufacturers including GAF, CertainTeed, Owens Corning, IKO, Atlas, Tamko, and Boral depending on what matches your existing roof. The job is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise: if the repair fails within a year, we come back at no charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get It Fixed

Call (325) 246-5075 and a live person answers – no voicemail, no runaround. Your local Crestview Roofing team will get out to you, put the price in writing before anything starts, and cover the repair for a full year under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.

Written by Dylan Pace, Owner at Crestview Roofing, part of the Relay Home Co. family, serving homeowners nationwide since 2000.