Missing, curled, cracked, or damaged roof shingles

Urgent enough to act on rather than watch. The exposed area lets water at the underlayment and deck, and the shingles around the gap have usually lost their seal too, which is why losses tend to continue in later, milder wind.

Most often age combined with heat, and inadequate attic ventilation is a frequent contributor because it raises deck temperatures. Curling across many shingles is a roof-wide condition rather than a repairable defect.

Possibly not exactly. Weathered asphalt changes colour and product lines get discontinued, so a repair can be visible. On a low-visibility slope that rarely matters; on a prominent elevation it may change the decision.

Sometimes, where roof planes are genuinely independent. Expect a colour difference and ask how the transition between old and new is detailed, because that junction becomes a new place for water to get in.

It is not a count. What matters is whether the loss is isolated or a symptom of roof-wide seal failure and wear, whether matching material is obtainable, and the condition of the covering across all planes.

Possibly, and it is worth raising rather than absorbing. Shingles installed in cold weather may not have sealed before their first winter unless the manufacturer's cold-weather provisions were applied, and fastening errors also prevent a roof reaching its rated wind performance.

It causes a different pattern — bruising and granule loss at points of impact rather than tabs blown off. Both can leave the underlying mat exposed, but hail damage is often less visually obvious from the ground than a clean gap left by wind, which is why a post-storm inspection checks for both.

Occasional loss after a significant wind event happens even on a sound roof, but recurring loss in ordinary wind, or loss spreading across multiple winters, points to a seal or fastening problem rather than bad luck. Recurring loss is worth having assessed rather than simply repaired again.

The exposed underlayment beneath a missing shingle is not designed as the primary fire or weather barrier on its own, so an exposed area should be addressed rather than left indefinitely, even where it is not actively leaking.

Often partially — binoculars from the ground, a look from an upper window, or photos from a phone at a safe distance can spot an obvious gap or color difference. A full assessment, including checking for lifted seals that are not yet missing, needs a proper inspection.

It can be useful evidence alongside photographs, particularly for demonstrating the material and condition, though photographs with dates are generally the more important record. Ask your insurer what they want documented if you are planning to file a claim.

Not necessarily — sun exposure, shade, and age of any prior spot repairs all affect fading differently by plane, which is part of why a repair on a weathered roof can be visible even with the correct product. A south-facing plane typically shows more fading than a shaded north plane.