Roof Repairs Continue After Hail Storm

It didn't get that much attention at the time, but homeowners in south Tulsa, Bixby, and Broken Arrow are still making repairs after last month's hailstorm.  The News On 6's Steve Berg reports for many, it has as much to do with the kind of shingles they use, as the storm.

You see the wood shingles all over south Tulsa.  And, roofers say it's a bad choice for Oklahoma.

Mark Wedel with Roofscapes of Oklahoma says with the concentration of homes in south Tulsa, the kind of shingles, and the hail, you had a perfect storm of circumstances.

"With that type of hail and the actual track of the storm, you just had a tremendous amount of damage," said Mark Wedel.

Wedel says wood is actually quite durable in some parts of the country, such as the West Coast where they're popular.  But, they don't stand up to the extremes of Oklahoma's climate.

"You're going to have tremendous hailstorms obviously.  You have plenty of rain in the winters.  You have plenty of ice buildup, and then, like you say, you bake over the summer," said Mark Wedel.

He says it will take many months for roofers to catch up with the 30,000 roofs in south Tulsa alone.

State Farm has even rented out space in a nearby shopping center, where adjusters' trucks fill the parking lot. 

People who already had the wood shingles could get them replaced with the same thing, but Wedel doesn't recommend it.  And, it's an unpopular choice for new construction.

"There's fewer and fewer companies that are wanting to insure wood roofs.  Just ask any homeowner,   they can tell you these same things," said Mark Wedel.

Neighborhood covenants used to require homes in some neighborhoods to use wood shingles.  But, that requirement has been relaxed, for some, as new styles of composite shingles do a better job of mimicking the same general look.

"There are several upper-end products that are of different materials, so there's just more choices now," said Mark Wedel.

If you decide you still want wood shingles, Wedel says cedar is your best bet for durability.