Why Wind Resistant Roofing is Best, and What Kind to Choose
Roofing is a critical part of any home. It provides the home with protection from the outside world: snow, rain, the Sun's UV rays, animals, and even wind. Of all these dangers to your roof, wind is the biggest. Wind has been statistically shown to cause more damage to roofing than any other factor.
Homes located in areas prone to extremely harsh winds like tornados and hurricanes cannot survive without special protection against wind damage. Homes located in areas with mostly moderate weather will still need sufficient wind protection because an average sized thunderstorm can occur at any time and produce winds strong enough to reduce your roof to tatters.
In order to help you provide your roof with the best protection possible, let’s discuss the dangers of wind in-depth and what steps you can take to ensure that your roof is properly guarded against the number one killer of roofs.
Why Wind Resistant Roofing is Important
According to Traveler's Insurance Company, they conducted a study on homeowner's insurance claims between 2009 to 2015, and the most common cause of damage to a home was wind. About 25 percent of all claims stated that high winds caused damage to the exterior of the home.
High winds are generally the result of bad weather, such as thunderstorms, tornados, and hurricanes, which can all cause serious damage to a home, especially the roof. If a home does not have a wind resistant roof, these high winds–which can get up to about 160mph during a hurricane–can easily rip the roof off a home and leave it exposed to all types of other catastrophic damage.
Oddly enough, smaller storms pose the most danger to a home. How is that, you may ask? Well, a large storm will produce obvious damage to your roof which can be addressed immediately. Small storms, however, will pull up a few shingles here and there, or shake loose the fascia.
A smaller storm with just brief high winds might not warrant a closer inspection, and this is where the real damage is done, because with damaged shingles and loose fascia, your roof will be vulnerable to water intrusion, mold, and rot. These are slow growing problems that many homeowners don’t notice until it’s too late.
You don’t want the moment you notice your roof needs repairs or replacement to be when you look up and see a huge water stain on the ceiling of the upstairs bedroom, or when you finally poke your head in the attic and see a horrifying display of mold and mildew everywhere. By this time, it’s typically too late.
By opting for a wind resistant roof option, homeowners can ensure their home is better protected against the effects of high winds and stop these problems in their tracks long before they start.
Who Needs Wind Resistant Roofing?
Wind resistant roofing is essential for homes in areas prone to harsh weather, like hurricanes, tornadoes, and intense rainstorms, which can come with high-force winds. States like Florida, North Carolina, and Louisiana are extremely hurricane-prone and have special building codes for homes to ensure they are strong enough for the damaging weather that can occur.
These states, Florida especially, also tend to suffer from severe tropical storms, which can also bring high winds.There are also states like Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Mississippi that are prone to tornadoes and high, damaging winds.
However, if you live anywhere in the continental U.S., you need advanced wind protection for your roof. Climate change is now producing harsh weather in areas that do not normally experience it, which means no one is safe from high winds. Failing to address this obvious and present danger means you are just waiting for the next storm to come along and inflict massive damage on your roof.
Everybody can benefit from having a wind resistant roof, regardless of where they live. This is because wind resistant roofs offer more durability than the average roof, which makes them a more reliable option than other roofing options.
Choosing a Wind Resistant Roof Material
Many roofing products claim to be the best roofing material for high winds, so it can be difficult to know what is true and what isn't. While regular asphalt shingles are only able to withstand winds of about 60-to-80 mph, architectural shingles can withstand winds up to 100 mph. However, for them to withstand such wind force, they require proper installation. Otherwise, they will get ripped right off of the home during high winds.
Another popular wind resistant roofing option is metal roofing, which is one of the more durable roofing materials available overall. Unlike asphalt shingles, a metal roof would be easier to install and require less upkeep and will perform well in any weather. However, it can dent easily, and also be rather noisy during storms.
Slate and tile roofing are two other options that can provide good wind resistance with proper installation. However, both of these can prove more costly, and clay tiles can break if hit with debris, which will allow water in and weaken the roof. Slate, clay, and concrete tiles become brittle in extremely cold weather as well, which should rule them out for those who live in areas with harsh winters.
The Best Roofing Material for High Winds
For the absolute best roofing material for high winds, there is no better option than synthetic roofing. Synthetic roofing, like CeDUR Roofing Shakes, uses materials like polyurethane to create highly durable roofing shakes and shingles.
CeDUR's synthetic shakes mimic the appearance of real cedar and redwood shingles, without the worry of the product splitting, rotting, or warping. It is an extremely affordable and durable product that can withstand wind speeds of up to 115 mph on roofs that are no higher than 40 feet. This makes them the ideal option for homes in areas prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, tropical storms, and high winds.
Beyond that, CeDUR's roofing products offer a Class A Fire Rating, the highest fire rating on the market, and a Class 4 Impact Rating, also the highest on the market. This makes this roofing incredibly durable no matter where it gets installed. Best of all, it is a lightweight, easy to install and maintain option with a long lifespan, and there is no need to worry about it ever becoming worn or damaged.
Synthetic cedar roofs never need to be resealed or treated with special chemicals to refresh their durability. You need only wash them off occasionally to enjoy lifelong durability. They will not take damage or weaken from bugs, UV rays, or any other deteriorating factor. CeDUR is so confident in the durability of their high-quality roofing that they offer a limited lifetime warranty of up to 50 years.
With the minimal maintenance explained above, you can expect your CeDUR Shake roof to last your entire life without ever needing replacement. That kind of wind protection is almost impossible to find anywhere else without higher maintenance requirements.
CeDUR Shake Roofing Stops Wind in its Tracks
The roof of a home is its first shield against danger from the elements. As a result, it’s important to choose a roofing material that is strong and durable. Low maintenance roofing with durability will make your life a lot easier as a homeowner. It is especially important in areas prone to high winds, where the wind can easily rip the roof off of a home if it is not strong enough.
Choosing wind resistant roofing is one of the best steps a homeowner can take to protect their home and property from the damaging and potentially disastrous effects of high winds. However, while there are many wind resistant roofing options, none can compare to the strength, durability, and reliability of synthetic roofing shingles like those from CeDUR.