Should You Repair or Replace Missing Shingles?

Straight-line winds through Kankakee County pull shingles off every summer. The question is whether you are looking at a patch or at a roof that has lost its seal across the board.

How urgent is it?

Missing shingles expose the underlayment, which is a water-resistant layer but not a roof. It can hold for a while in light rain and fails fast in wind-driven rain. Treat it as something to handle within days, not months, especially with rain in the forecast.

Patching is usually fine when

• Only a small number of shingles are gone, in one or two areas.
• The roof is relatively young and the surrounding shingles are still flexible.
• The underlayment and decking underneath are intact.
• You can accept a possible color mismatch, or the area is not highly visible.

Look harder when

• Shingles are lifting or creased across multiple slopes, meaning the seal strips have broken widely.
• The roof is already near end of life.
• Shingles crack when a roofer lifts them, which makes clean repairs difficult.
• The same wind event also damaged flashing, ridge caps or gutters.

A note on creased shingles

Shingles that stayed on but got folded back and creased are damaged even though they look attached. The crease breaks the mat, and those shingles tend to fail later. An inspection catches this; a glance from the driveway does not.

If a storm caused it

Photograph the roof from the ground and note the storm date. Wind damage may be an insurance matter depending on your policy and your insurer's decision.