Wind damage and shingle roof repair in Tenleytown (20016)

Elevation matters. Houses on the rise around Fort Reno and along Wisconsin Avenue catch gusts that lose strength by the time they reach lower neighborhoods. Shingles take it at the edges first: rakes, eaves and the ridge. Once the adhesive strip lets go, a shingle creases at the nail line and can tear loose in the next storm.

We check for creased shingles after storms by lifting tabs gently along the rakes and ridge. A creased shingle can look fine from the ground and still leak. Our storm damage repair work starts with a roof-level check, photos of every damaged area and a same-day seal or tarp where the deck is exposed.

Older three-tab shingles fail first. Many Tenleytown homes still have them, or a first-generation architectural shingle laid in the 1990s.

When we replace a roof here, we treat wind as the main design load. That means a starter strip with adhesive along every eave and rake, six nails per shingle instead of four, and a ridge cap product rated for high wind. We also hand-seal the first course on the rake edges, where uplift is strongest.

Ice and water underlayment goes along the eaves, in every valley and around chimneys and skylights. Drip edge is fastened under the underlayment at the eaves and over it at the rakes. Small choices like these are why some roofs on a block lose shingles in a storm and others do not. Our asphalt shingle roofing page lists the materials we use.

If you prefer metal, standing seam with concealed clips holds up very well against wind and suits some of the more modern houses near American University.

Tenleytown has mature street trees and big backyard oaks, especially on the blocks between Nebraska Avenue and Rock Creek. Storms that bring down limbs can puncture decking and crush gutters. After a tarp goes up, we document damage with photos and measurements and write a scope your insurance adjuster can use.

Insurers look for storm-created damage, not wear. We separate the two in our notes so the claim reflects what actually happened.

You do not need to climb a ladder to spot most wind damage. Walk the yard and the sidewalk the morning after a storm and look for the signs below. Any one of them is worth a call, because a small opening left alone through the next rain usually turns into wet insulation and ceiling stains.

Driveways and side yards are common here, so we can usually park a trailer at the house and get a ladder up within the hour of arriving. Narrow streets near Tenley Circle and the Metro fill with cars during the school day, which is why we aim for early starts there.

• Shingle pieces or granules in the yard, gutters or downspout outlets
• Gaps in the ridge line or exposed nail heads along the peak
• Lifted edges along the rake that flutter in a light breeze
• Dents or a bent section in the gutter where a limb landed
• Fresh water stains on the top-floor ceiling or in the attic