Coastal roofing
Roofing for wind and salt air
The Ocean State has roughly 400 miles of shoreline. If your house is anywhere near it, these details belong in the roofing contract.
What coastal storms do to roofs
When Hurricane Bob hit Rhode Island in August 1991, the storm surge along the shore ran 5 to 8 feet, trees and utility poles came down across the state, and more than 60 percent of people in southeastern Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts lost power. Most roofs that fail in storms like that fail at the edges first: wind gets under the first course of shingles at an eave or rake and peels upward.
The details, one by one
Starter strips
Factory-sealed starter strips along eaves and rakes, so the first course is bonded down
Nailing
The shingle maker's high-wind nailing pattern, with nails placed exactly in the nail line
Drip edge
Fastened tightly on every edge; loose edge metal lets wind get under the first course
Ridge
Ridge cap shingles made for the ridge and a ridge vent designed for wind-driven rain
Fasteners
Corrosion-resistant nails and screws near salt water
Flashing
Copper, stainless or aluminum rather than plain steel
Shingles
Algae-resistant shingles for shaded and north-facing slopes
Salt air and metal
Salt spray corrodes ordinary steel quickly. Nail heads rust and stain, and steel flashing pits through. Near the water, ask what the fasteners and flashing are made of. For a metal roof, aluminum is often chosen for houses directly exposed to spray.
Humidity and algae
The black streaks on many Rhode Island roofs are algae, which thrives in humid coastal air and on shaded slopes. Algae-resistant shingles contain copper granules that slow it down. Cedar roofs need airflow underneath so they dry between rains; see cedar shingle roofs.
Live near the water? Talk with a roofer who builds roofs for the coast.
Mon–Fri 8:30 am–7 pm · Sat 9 am–4 pm (Eastern)
Common questions
+Do ridge vents leak in wind-driven rain?
Some low-profile ridge vents are designed with baffles and filters for high-wind, wind-driven-rain conditions. On exposed houses, ask which ridge vent the roofer uses and what it is designed for.
+Should gutters come off during a roof replacement?
Often they are removed and reset, or replaced, so the drip edge and eave membrane can be installed correctly. Discuss it before the contract is signed.