Missing or Damaged Shingles on Your Roof?
Whether you found shingles in your yard after a typical Calgary storm or noticed something off on your roofline, the question is the same: how serious is this, and what happens if you leave it? Here’s what’s actually going on — and what to do next.
What you’re seeing on your roof
Shingle problems show up in different ways depending on the cause. If any of these match what you're looking at, you're in the right place
Shingles in the Yard After a Storm
Wind-blown shingles found on the ground are a clear sign the adhesive sealant strip has failed (either from age, improper installation, or the shingles being installed in cold weather before the strip could activate.)
Bare or Dark Patches on the Roof
A visible patch where the darker underlayment is exposed means shingles are gone entirely. That dark layer is your secondary barrier. It was not designed to handle direct UV exposure or rainfall on its own.
Curling or Lifting Edges
Shingle tabs curling upward at the edges — especially visible from the ground — indicate the sealant strip has lost its bond. These shingles are vulnerable to the next wind event and may already be allowing water infiltration at the seams.
Granules Collecting in Eavestroughs
A significant amount of dark, sand-like granules washing out of your downspouts after rain is a sign your shingles are shedding their protective coating (either from age, hail impact, or poor-quality materials degrading faster than expected).
Cracked or Split Shingles
Visible cracks running across the shingle face are a cold-climate failure mode — repeated freeze-thaw cycles make asphalt brittle over time, and Alberta's 40+ freeze-thaw cycles per winter accelerate this significantly on older or lower-quality shingles.
Damaged or Split Ridge Caps
The ridge caps at the very peak of your roof take more wind exposure than anywhere else. Cracked, lifted, or missing ridge caps are a common entry point for wind-driven rain and a frequent source of attic moisture that homeowners struggle to trace.
Why Shingles Fail — and What It Means for Your Roof
A shingle has three jobs: shed water downward, protect the underlayment from UV radiation, and resist wind uplift through an adhesive sealant strip on its underside. When any one of these fails, the whole system underneath becomes vulnerable.
Wind blow-offs happen when the sealant strip never properly activated — a common problem when shingles are installed in temperatures below 10°C without hand-sealing, which is why winter installations require extra care. Age is the other main culprit: after 15–20 years, the sealant dries out and loses its grip, and the next storm simply finishes the job.
The more serious issue is what happens next. Once a shingle is missing, the synthetic underlayment below it is exposed to direct UV light. That layer degrades within months under Alberta’s intense Prairie sun — and once it fails, water has a clear path to your decking.
Why nailing matters more that what most homeowners know
Shingles are engineered with a specific nailing zone — on IKO Performance shingles, this is the ArmourZone, a reinforced strip that grips nails tightly. Nails driven above this zone (a common shortcut) provide a fraction of the wind resistance. In a prairie windstorm, improperly nailed shingles can fail even when they are relatively new.
What happens if you ignore it
Missing shingles are not just a cosmetic problem. The consequences compound quickly, especially heading into a Calgary winter.
Underlayment Degradation
The synthetic underlayment beneath your shingles is not designed for prolonged UV exposure. In Calgary’s high-altitude Prairie sun, exposed underlayment can degrade within a few months — after which water has a direct path to the wood decking beneath.
Accelerated Freeze-Thaw Damage
Any water that reaches the decking through a gap will freeze and expand in the next cold snap, forcing the breach wider. Over a single Alberta winter with 40+ freeze-thaw cycles, what started as a missing tab becomes a section of rotted decking.
Warranty & Insurance Implications
IKO‘s manufacturer warranty — and most homeowner insurance policies — require documented damage to be addressed promptly. Knowingly leaving missing shingles unrepaired can void your warranty coverage and complicate any future claim tied to water damage from that area.
What to do right now
Some of this you can do safely from the ground. Other parts require a professional. Here's what to do.
On Matching Shingles
A common DIY approach is to buy a matching bundle from a hardware store and nail down a replacement tab. The problem: shingles from different production runs often do not match in colour or profile — and more importantly, the repair requires proper weaving and nailing technique to maintain wind resistance. An improperly repaired shingle can actually be more vulnerable to blow-off than the original.
How ALR Assesses and Repairs Shingles Damage
Our approach starts with finding out whether missing or damaged shingles are an isolated incident or a symptom of a broader system issue. That distinction changes everything about the right course of action.
Full System Inspection — Roof and Attic
We assess the shingles from the surface and inspect the attic to check for hidden moisture, decking integrity, and ventilation performance. A missing shingle is the visible symptom. Our job is to understand what the system underneath it looks like.
Honest Assessment: Repair vs. Replacement
We'll let you know whether a targeted repair makes sense, or whether the surrounding shingles are degraded enough that a repair is a short-term measure on a roof that needs replacing. We don't push replacement when a repair is the right answer, and we don't sell repairs when replacement is clearly more economical over time.
Proper Repair — Down to the Decking
Where repair is appropriate, we remove surrounding shingles to inspect the decking below, replace any compromised underlayment, and install new shingles with correct nailing — 6 fully flush nails per shingle, positioned in the manufacturer's specified zone. No surface patching, no tar.
IKO Materials With Warranty Backing
All repairs use IKO materials — manufactured locally in Calgary and proven against Alberta's climate conditions. As an IKO Craftsman Premier Installer, our work is backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
DAVID R. , Tuscany, NW Calgary
Our roof was 17 years old and we'd been quoted $18,000 for a replacement. Advanced Level Roofing assessed it and said the decking was sound and the shingles had good life left — they recommended the life extension treatment instead. We paid a fraction of the replacement quote, and two years later the roof is performing exactly as they said it would. They could have sold us a replacement and they chose not to — that kind of honesty is rare.
Yannick Rouette , Calgary
Advanced Level Roofing replaced the roof on my house in April 2025. The previous roof was damaged by hail and I paid for Class 4 hail-resistant shingles. They delivered the shingles on a Thursday and came for the removal and installation on Saturday. They did all the work in a single day, from 8 am to 4:30 pm. The employees were nice and careful. They cleaned everything around the house and passed their rolling magnet over my yard ten times to remove all nails. They sent me a photo inspection of the roof. I would recommend this company. Their prices are great.
JOHN D. , Calgary
Yesterday I had my roof replaced by a team from Advanced Level Roofing. True professionals who know what they do. I saw them working on houses around me for two years now and their jobs look awesome. You can see other companies dragging a roof job on for days, but these guys try their best to do it in one day and that was the case for me. The whole process from estimate to installation was a breeze. The price was fair and the estimator answered all my questions. When dusk set in, they were gone and everything was clean and nice around the house. The roof looks awesome. As much as I like what you've done, I don't want to see you again for the next 20 years or so!
Will my insurance cover missing shingles?
It depends on the cause. Storm-related shingle loss — wind events, hail, or falling debris — is typically covered under Alberta homeowner insurance policies as sudden and accidental damage. In these cases, you are generally responsible only for your deductible.
Wear and tear over time is a different story. If an adjuster determines that shingles failed due to age or deferred maintenance rather than a specific weather event, the claim may be denied or subject to depreciation under an Actual Cash Value policy. This is a meaningful distinction — and one that is increasingly common as Alberta insurers tighten their terms after years of catastrophic claims.
For isolated wind or storm repairs, costs typically range from $500 to $2,000 depending on the number of affected shingles, roof pitch, and access. Repairs involving decking replacement or extensive flashing work will be higher. If a full replacement is needed, our team will walk you through cost ranges and financing options before any work begins.
Dealing With a Related Problem?
Missing shingles are often connected to broader issues. These guides cover the most common ones.
Hail Damage Roof Repair
Hailstorms often cause shingle damage that is invisible from the ground. If the shingle loss happened after a storm, hail bruising may be part of the picture.
Emergency Roof Repair
If your roof is actively leaking through the area where shingles are missing, this guide covers what to do in the next 30 minutes.
How to File a Roof Insurance Claim
If the damage was storm-related, this guide walks you through the Alberta claims process — from initial documentation to working with an adjuster.
Serving Calgary & Communities Across Western Canada
We respond to shingle damage and repair requests across all our markets. Same-day assessments may be available in some areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many missing shingles is a problem?
Can I replace a missing shingle myself?
Does wind damage to shingles count as an insurance claim?
My shingles aren’t missing, but they look worn. Do I need a replacement?
How long does a shingle repair typically take?
What shingles does Advanced Level Roofing use for repairs?
