Silver Spring Roofing: Article About Wind Rating
This is a trade association that represents the majority of asphalt roofing manufacturing companies in North America. They gather information concerning modern asphalt roofing materials as well as asphalt roofing practices and give it to building and code officials to improve the asphalt roofing industry.
Silver Spring MD roofers answer a FAQ: What can a homeowner do to temporarily protect their roof after a storm?A homeowner can install emergency roofing after a storm by covering the damaged area with a woven plastic tarp. The center of the tarp should be placed at the ridgeline and should be attached to the roof with 1x3 wood strips. Proper safety measures should be taken to reduce the chance of injury.
Silver Spring Roofing contractors have worked on many homes that have needed to have their shingles replaced after a storm. In most cases, the culprit for shingle damage is high wind. For this reason, it is very important for homeowners to learn about the wind ratings of the shingles they are thinking about purchasing. Wind rating is a guarantee provided by shingle manufacturers stating that their product, as long as it is installed properly, will stay attached to the roof up to a set wind speed.
There are a few factors that come into play when determining shingle wind rate. For example, the number of nails used to adhere a shingle to a deck is taken into consideration. On average, architectural shingles have a wind rating of up to 110 mph as long as they are adhered to the decking material with at least four nails. However, if that same shingle is adhered to the same decking material with six nails, the wind rating increases to 130 miles per hour. That is the equivalent of a category five hurricane. Most manufacturers will void their wind warranty if staples are used instead of nails.
The positioning of the nails in the shingles will affect their wind rating.
Have a question regarding roofing, gutters or siding? Please ask the expert roofers from Seneca Creek Home Improvement of Silver Spring MD today.
On every shingle, there is an area of about 1 inch where shingles will overlap on the roof. This is the area where the installer should put the nails. If the installer is not being careful or if they are new to roofing, they may put the nails above or below this area. If multiple shingles on the roof are installed in this way, they are likely to be blown away by a strong wind gust.
The type of shingle being installed will also affect the rating it receives. Three tab roofing shingles have a rating for between 60 to 70 miles per hour. Architectural shingles are rated for 110 to 130 mph. Trilaminate shingles have a rating of up to 130 mph.
The ARMA has developed a letter rating system for shingle wind rating. Shingles that provide wind protection up to 90 miles an hour are rated as class D. Those that provide protection up to 120 miles an hour are rated class G. Those rated up to 150 miles per hour are designated class H.
Understanding and building in harmony with wind standards is important not just for homes that are in areas that experience hurricanes or tornadoes, but it is also important for homes everywhere, since summer and winter storms with high winds can appear out of nowhere. Asphalt shingles have been tested and proven to provide above stellar high wind protection.
