What a mark on a shingle means, what a roof is supposed to include, and when a repair is the wrong job.
Written for Central Ohio homeowners, sourced to Ohio code and the manufacturer, and illustrated with close-ups from our own roof inspections.
Understand architectural fees, prepare for design meetings, and bring your contractor into the conversation early. Includes full audio narration and a downloadable PDF.
Read or Listen to the Guide →
Follow the water from a clogged gutter to rotted fascia, a rotted roof edge, a plugged downspout and an Ohio ice dam, with real photos and a 60-second check from the ground.
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Shingles are one layer. Here are the main parts underneath and around them, from the deck and ice barrier to the flashings, ridge caps and ventilation, and what Ohio code and CertainTeed call for.
Read the Guide →Ohio's matching rule, and the lab test behind an impact rating. Neither is our opinion. Both go in the file when they apply.
Starter and ridge cap counted as waste, step flashing left on the wall, ice barrier a course short, and the repair that will not match. The lines we check on every carrier estimate.
Wind damage is gone, torn or creased. The crease is the one that gets argued about: what it looks like up close, what is not wind, and how the claim goes.
What the words on a roof estimate mean, from the paperwork and the money lines to the parts of the roof and the storm words, one short paragraph each.
Why attic air has to come in low and leave high, what Ohio code requires, and the signs of a ventilation problem.
When a repair is the right call, when replacement is, and why new shingles over old is rarely the answer.
Hail leaves bruises, not holes. What to check from the ground after a storm, starting with gutters, downspouts and vents, what a bruise looks like up close, and what to do first.
A hail hit is a bruise; a blister is a bubble that formed in the shingle itself. How to tell them apart, and from the other marks that get mistaken for hail.
Granules in the gutter are normal; bare spots on the shingles are not. How to tell normal shedding from a roof that is wearing through.
Why roofing nails back out of the deck, what a nail pop looks like, how it leaks, and what a proper repair is.
Articles from the shingle manufacturer, the roofing industry, independent researchers, federal storm scientists and the State of Ohio that answer questions homeowners ask us. They open on the publisher's own website in a new tab; we did not write them. Links checked October 2026.
The shingle maker walks through the parts that sit under and around the shingles: underlayments, starter, hip and ridge caps and attic ventilation.
Why a roof gets two kinds of underlayment, a waterproof membrane at the edges, valleys and penetrations and a water-resistant sheet everywhere else.
What an ice storm can do to a roof, from falling limbs to ice dams at the eaves, and the simple steps to take before winter: clear the gutters and trim branches back from the roof.
How roof style, color and texture can suit your home's architecture, siding and trim, and the homes around it.
CertainTeed explains the difference between a manufacturer warranty and a contractor workmanship warranty, and why the fine print is worth reading.
The asphalt shingle industry association on when the old roof has to come off and when a second layer is even an option.
How ice dams form at the eaves and the steps that reduce them: a cold, well-ventilated attic, clear gutters and a self-adhering ice barrier.
The national roofing trade association’s checklist of what to ask and verify before you hire anyone to work on your roof.
An independent research institute’s primer on asphalt, metal and tile roofs: the materials, how they are installed and the standards they are tested to.
Ohio’s insurance regulator explains wind and hail deductibles, replacement cost versus actual cash value, and questions to ask about your roof coverage.
State of Ohio tips for spotting storm-chasing repair scams: pressure to pay up front or decide on the spot, and inspections done while you are not home.
Federal storm researchers explain what hail is, how hailstones form and grow inside thunderstorm updrafts, and why they finally fall.
We walk the roof, photograph what is there, and tell you plainly whether it is storm damage, wear, or a repair.