Wind Damage vs. Improper Installation
Quick Answer
Three shingles blew off your roof during a 60 mph gust. The insurance adjuster claims it was "high nailing" and denies the claim. Learn to spot the difference.
When massive windstorms hit Central Iowa, shingles can rip off a roof entirely or crease backwards. However, the insurance company will eagerly look for any excuse to blame the failure on the original roofer rather than the wind.
If the carrier decides the original crew installed the shingles incorrectly, they will deny the claim based on "faulty workmanship." You must know how to visually differentiate true wind uplift from bad nailing.
True Wind Damage (The Crease)
Authentic wind damage to an architectural or 3-tab shingle is incredibly distinct. When 70+ mph winds hit a roof, the wind catches the bottom edge of the shingle and forces it upward.
The shingle bends backward on itself, snapping the rigid fiberglass matting inside. When the wind dies down, the shingle falls back into place, but it leaves a definitive, horizontal black line across the top third of the shingle. This is called a Wind Crease.
Once a shingle is creased, it is permanently destroyed. It has lost its structural rigidity and must be fully replaced.
The Improper Installation Excuse
The most aggressive denial tactic an adjuster will use is the "High Nailing" defense.
Every shingle has a designated "nail line" printed on it by the manufacturer. If the original installer was lazy and fired the nails an inch above that line, the shingle is dramatically weakened against wind friction.
The Adjuster's Argument
The adjuster will climb the roof, lift the missing shingle immediately above the hole, and see the nails placed too high. They will write in their report: "The 60 mph wind did not cause this failure; the improper 'high nailing' caused the failure. Faulty workmanship is excluded from the policy. Claim Denied."
Overdriven Nails
Another common installation error is the "overdriven nail." If the installer's pneumatic nail gun pressure is set too high, the nail head will punch completely through the fiberglass matting. Since the head of the nail is no longer holding the shingle down, even a minor 30 mph gust can blow it off the roof.
Like high nailing, this will result in an immediate claim denial.
How to Fight the Denial
If an adjuster denies a massive roof blowout based on poor workmanship, you still have options.
- Check the Warranties: If the original roof was installed within the last 5 to 10 years by a legitimate local company, call them immediately. Their workmanship warranty should force them to replace the failed shingles for free, bypassing the insurance company entirely.
- Demand Engineering: If you believe the adjuster is wrong and the nails were placed correctly, your new elite contractor can demand a re-inspection or hire an independent structural engineer to definitively prove the wind speed, not the nail placement, caused the sheer failure.