roof damage

[abledsoe]

Not sure if this is the right place or not but here goes...

I just bought my first house in the spring so im kinda new to house stuff. We are having a wicked wind storm at the moment and some of my shingles have blown off. The roof is about 15 years old and some shingles are starting to curl at the edges of the roof. First of all how big of a concern is missing shingles, other than being ugly. Right now it looks like 5 or 10 have blown off but its still blowing badly. Second is it worth it to call the insurance company? Is there a chance they would replace the roof?
Any help would be appreciated, sorry if this is the wrong place for this.
Thanks!

 

[glennjanie]

Hello ABledsoe:
Yes, the missing shingles are a problem; they will allow leaks in the next rain.
My roof had considerable damage from the wind today too. I think one bundle of shingles will repair it and than's far less than my $500 deductible with Farm Bureau.
The average life of the new fiberglass shingles is 12 to 20 years. I know, they have a 20 year LIMITED warranty (notice one word is larger than warranty). Roofing companies can show you at least 15 things you didn't do according to the instructions, thus voiding the warranty.
In your case I would recommend removing the old shingles and replacing them with new ones. Take several detailed pictures of the roof and see your agent (check your deductible first) and you may even want to get an estimate of the cost first. Your agent knows several roofing companies that work well with him and will be glad to tell you their names.
Glenn

 

[mikemeier]

The insurance company might also only send someone to replace the missing shingles. I had a three tab that only lasted about 7 years, which is the average in my area. I went with a laminated shingle which looks much better and you'll get closer to the warranty for life expectancy.

 

[aaron.klimchuk]

stay away from the insurance agents guys ,unless you want a low budget/quality repair

+1, find a contractor you're comfortable with and can trust.

you can find quite a few local roofers at roofing-directory