Seen a lot of roofs after storms, and honestly, I’m always surprised by what holds up and what doesn’t. Last spring, I inspected a place with those “impact-resistant” shingles—looked decent from the ground, but up close, you could see where the wind had started to lift the edges. Not as bad as standard shingles, but still some damage. Metal roofs do better in my experience, but yeah, price is a hurdle. One thing I always check is how well the shingles are nailed down—placement and number of nails make a bigger difference than folks think. Sometimes it’s not just about the material but how it’s installed...
We went with architectural shingles when we bought our place last year—figured they’d be tougher than the basic ones. After a couple of wild windstorms, I noticed a few edges curling up too, which was kind of disappointing. I guess I underestimated how much proper nailing matters. Metal sounded great but honestly, the price was out of reach for us. If we ever have to redo the roof, might look into installation quality more than just the shingle type…
I guess I underestimated how much proper nailing matters. Metal sounded great but honestly, the price was out of reach for us.
You’re not the only one who thought architectural shingles would be a “set it and forget it” deal. I went that route too, thinking they’d handle our Midwest storms better than the old three-tabs. They did fine the first couple years, but after a nasty windstorm last spring, I found a handful of tabs lifted up along the ridge and a couple in the valley curling just like you described. I crawled up there with a hammer and some roofing cement, but it’s not exactly a long-term fix.
I thought about metal too—looked at standing seam quotes and nearly fell over. It was double what we paid for shingles, and that didn’t even include all the trim work. I get why folks like it (no more replacing shingles every decade), but sometimes the budget just says no.
Honestly, I think you nailed it about installation being just as important as the material. My neighbor had the same shingles put on by a different crew, and his roof still looks perfect after two years of storms. Turns out his guys used six nails per shingle instead of four and paid extra attention to the starter strip. Makes me wonder if I should’ve hovered over my installers more, but hindsight’s always 20/20.
If you end up patching or redoing sections, check if your warranty covers wind damage—sometimes they’ll send someone out if it’s within the first year or two. Otherwise, I’d say don’t beat yourself up. Even the “tough” shingles have their limits if they’re not nailed right or if the wind gets wild enough.
One thing I wish I’d done was ask for photos during install, just to see how careful they were with nailing patterns and flashing. Next time, I’ll probably be that annoying person asking for proof every step of the way.
Hang in there—it’s frustrating, but you’re definitely not alone. Roofs are one of those things you only really notice when something goes wrong...
