Hail is one of the most destructive forces in nature. One of the worst things about hail is that it can go unnoticed. Hail damage to a roof often looks fairly normal until you start to notice problems with water getting into your home or leaking from your ceiling. We will discuss what hail does to roofs and how it affects different types of roofs. We’ll also talk about what hailstorms can do, including some telltale signs that show if a hailstorm has hit you.
The main problem is that even small hail of one inch or less can do devastating damage to your roof, and you wouldn’t even know it without a detailed inspection. Without knowing what signs to look out for, it is nearly impossible to detect hail damage, and if left alone, it can have you needing much more than just a few repairs.
What Can Hail Do to Your Roof?
-Hail can cause dents in your roof tiles, which lead to leaks. Even sturdier materials like slate tiles and metal can be beaten down by sufficient hail.
-The force of the hail hitting the roof causes it to break or crack, leading to the leak problem. Hail damage also breaks down the protective coating on roofs, so more water gets through when rainfall hits them again.
-In some cases, hail will actually slide off a roof’s surface with enough force that it leaves behind an indentation below where it hit (called “hollow hailstones”). When any rain falls into these indents, there is no water barrier to escape from, and you have another leak.
-Hail can also break and damage gutter systems, leading to drainage issues that can lead to the development of mold and rot, which can cause holes in your roof and leaks in your home.
How Do You Tell if You Have Roof Damage?
-If you have a leak in your home, but don’t know where it originated from, then the first thing to do is check for any traces of hail damage.
-Sometimes, these are subtle and easy to miss if they’re not visible on the surface of the roof. Some telltale signs that there might be hail damage include dents or depressions in your shingles; missing sections of shingle (indicating chunks were taken off by high winds); curled up edges around skylights or vent pipes; discoloration near seams and joints, and other signs of wear or deterioration.
This is not only true of just shingle roofs either. Hail can be strong enough to crack or break tile roofs and even dent metal ones.
One of the worst types of damage and also the most difficult to detect are dozens or even hundreds of tiny pin-holes in your shingles or other roofing material. Hail can rain down hard enough to punch tiny holes in your roof that, while minimal at first, can lead to major leaks and flooding later on.
How Different Sizes of Hail Damage Your Roof?
Hail under a quarter inch in size can leave dents and damage the surface of your roof but won’t do any major structural damage or make it leak.
Hail that is one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch in diameter will punch through shingles and cause leaks around vents, skylights, or other protrusions.
Hail larger than three-quarters of an inch in diameter destroys roofs by punching holes all over the place, causing so much water leakage you might as well call this hail storm “waterfall.”
Anything over an inch in diameter is likely to cause severe and massive damage to your roof system.
Once hail reaches two inches in diameter, it is capable of breaking parts of your roof and putting holes in most types of roofing material. The speed of the hail combined with high winds and heavy rainfall can turn your roof from perfectly fine to full of holes in an instant.
Can Hail Damage Be Fixed?
No, hail damage cannot be fixed.
The best way to avoid this type of devastation is to install a roof that will withstand the impact of an impending storm and keep your home dry in heavy rain or snowstorms.
Not all roofs are created equally. The material you choose for your residential roofing systems should fit with how much time it spends exposed to nature’s forces, including exposure to wind, water penetration from thunderstorms, and hail impacts from severe weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes.
When choosing materials for installation on your residential property, consider what conditions exist in different geographic areas where there may be high levels of rainfall year-round coupled with a greater potential for damaging hailstorms.
Simply put, a roof devastated by hail will likely need to be replaced. That’s why upgrading to a stronger roofing material and being vigilant about inspections is the best way to keep your roof intact and avoid more damage than just a busted-up roof.
Signs of Prolonged Hail Damage
If you’ve been as many people and been unable to notice whether your roof had hail damage, here are some of the signs to look for the next time you’re surveying your roof.
Raised or curled shingles are a sure single of hail damage. Your shingles will start to bubble out over time and may even trap water underneath them, which can lead to mold, rotted wood, and eventually a leaky roof that ruins the rest of your home.
Broken or loose shingles as well as cracked tiles, worn surfaces, even bare spots in your roof, if you haven’t checked in a while, these can be signs that you’ve suffered significant hail damage.
Scratching on metal in a zigzag pattern near the edge of the roof where hail strikes hit hardest. Sometimes, deep scratches may also be visible at this spot.
Will Insurance Cover Hail Damage?
Hail can lead to costly repairs for homeowners. But it’s important not to panic: you may have coverage through your homeowner’s insurance policy that will cover damages from hail storms, as long as the damage was sustained during a hailstorm and reported within 60 days of its occurrence, though the exact amount of time you have to report damage will vary by policy.
Plus, most residential policies offer some form of liability coverage in case someone is injured on your property due to severe weather conditions, so make sure you’re covered before disaster strikes!
The exact type and extent of your coverage will vary by insurance provider and the type of policy you have, as well as your regional location.
What Should You Do Before Filing a Hail Damage Claim?
- If you have homeowner’s insurance, contact the company and report your damage.
- Take pictures of the damaged area(s) to document what repairs need to be made before a claim can be filed.
- Gather any receipts related to storm-related expenses such as an emergency contractor or a temporary roofing company if you had work done during or after the hail storm – these could help with filing for reimbursement later on.
- Contact a roofing repair expert. This is important because many of them can help you deal with the insurance company and will know the exact steps, what pictures to take and how to fight to get your damage covered.
How to Prevent Hail Damage?
- Clean gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent water from pooling on the roof.
- Make sure your roof’s pitch is sufficient enough to avoid hail damage at all times. If it isn’t, add a gravel ridge or adjust shingle layers until you find something that works better for you.
- Contact your local roofing experts and make sure to have your roof regularly inspected. You can prevent some hail damage by replacing loose shingles or tiles and making sure ductwork, gutters, and other components are completely secure.
Contact McDonough Roofing
If you suspect you may have hail damage or are just looking for professional support to make sure your roof is the best it can be, contact McDonough Roofing today and let us see what we can do for you.
Taking care of your roof is serious business, and we’ll be there to help you no matter what the problem is. Storm and Hail damage, repairs, replacements, and upgrades, McDonough Roofing can handle it all.
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