Shingles blew off your roof? Here's what to do.

Take a breath. A few missing shingles is usually a quick repair, not a new roof. The main thing is to get the spot covered before the next good rain. Stay off the roof, take a few pictures from the ground, check the attic, and text me the pictures and your address.

I'm James. I've fixed roofs around Baltimore City and Baltimore County for 24+ years and worked on thousands of homes. I'm usually up on a roof during the day, so a text is the fastest way to reach me. If it's urgent, say so in the text.

What to do today

1. Stay off the roof. A ladder on a windy day is how people get hurt, and a bare spot on a roof is slippery.
2. Look from the ground. Walk around the house and look from across the street. Use your phone's zoom. Count the missing pieces and look for bare black felt, lifted edges, and missing caps along the ridge.
3. Pick up what came down. Keep one shingle. It helps me match the color and type. Pick up any nails in the yard and driveway before someone steps on one or a tire finds it.
4. Check the attic. With a flashlight, look under that part of the roof for daylight, wet wood, or damp insulation.
5. Take pictures. The roof from the ground, the pieces that came down, and anything you see in the attic.
6. Text me the pictures and your address.

Will it leak?

Not always right away. Under the shingles there's a layer of underlayment that sheds some water for a while. But it isn't made to be the roof, and the old nail holes let water through. If you can see bare wood from the ground, or daylight in the attic, it can leak with the next rain. If water is already coming in, see my roof is leaking: what to do right now.

Why shingles blow off

• Age. The strip that seals each shingle to the one below wears out over the years, and wind can get under the edge.
• How they were nailed. Too few nails, or nails placed too high, let shingles lift.
• Ridges and edges. The ridge caps and the roof edges catch the most wind.
• Old patches. A section that was patched before, with mismatched or loose shingles, often goes first.
• Trees. Branches rubbing on the roof loosen shingles over time.

If the same area keeps losing shingles, there's a reason, and that's what I look for.

What I do when you text me

1. I look at your pictures and tell you whether it can wait for a dry day or needs to be covered sooner.
2. I come out and look at the whole area, not just the missing piece. On steep or tall roofs I can use the drone. I'm an FAA-licensed drone pilot.
3. I match your shingles as close as I can. Older shingles are sometimes discontinued, and new ones won't look exactly the same right away. I'll tell you how close it will be before I start.
4. I replace the missing ones, seal down loose ones around them, and check the ridge and flashing nearby.
5. You get pictures and a price before any work starts. See shingle replacement.

I'm licensed and insured, MHIC #154344.

Missing shingle questions

Will my roof leak if a few shingles blew off?

It might not leak right away, because there's underlayment under the shingles. But that layer isn't made to be the roof, and the old nail holes let water in. Get it covered before the next good rain.

Can I wait to replace missing shingles?

For a few days of dry weather, usually yes. For weeks, no. Every rain puts water on the underlayment and the wood, and loose shingles next to the gap tend to go next.

Why do my shingles keep blowing off?

Usually age, how they were nailed, or an old patch that never sealed down. Ridges and edges catch the most wind. If the same spot keeps losing shingles, that spot needs a real fix, not just one more shingle.

Can you match my shingles?

I match them as close as I can, and a shingle that came down helps. Older shingles are sometimes discontinued, so new ones may look a little different at first. I'll tell you how close it will be before I start. See shingle replacement.

Can I put the shingles back on myself?

I'd rather you didn't. A ladder in the wind is how people get hurt, and a shingle that isn't nailed and sealed right blows off again. Keep the piece on the ground for me. It helps with matching.

Does a missing ridge cap need fixing right away?

Soon, yes. The ridge is the peak of the roof, so an open ridge lets water run down both sides. Text me a picture and I'll tell you how soon.

More help

Shingles missing?

Text me a picture of the roof and your address. I'll look at it as soon as I'm off the roof I'm on and tell you what I think. If it's urgent, say so in the text.