How to Spot Roof or Exterior Damage from Hail
Severe roof damage, such as shingles getting ripped off your roof or tree branches down may seem obvious to spot. However, minor damage can be difficult to detect through an untrained eye. Get a roof inspection from a trained professional to assess the hail damage on your roof or follow our helpful tips on how to know if your roof or exterior has hail damage.
The first place to look for damage caused by hail is your gutters. High-impact hail that causes roof damage will most likely dent your gutters or downspouts. This is the easiest place to see and evaluate when looking for potential roof damage. If there are dents and dings on your gutters and downspouts, you’re likely to have problems on the roof.
Gutters will also fill up and clog due to granules that shingles can shed when hail hits them. Clogged and overflowing gutters will indicate that hail has damaged your roof.
The second place we suggest looking is your siding, and the third place is your deck. Both of these areas will experience damage from a bad hailstorm and are easy indicators for potential shingle damage. Any hail damage on our siding or deck means you should get a roof inspection.
Can 1-Inch Hail Cause Damage to a Roof? What About Smaller or Larger Hail?
Yes! In fact, even hail smaller than 1 inch can cause damage to a roof or to other areas of your house. After a hailstorm, the size of the hail can be the easiest indicator as to what types of damage you may face. While this is not a foolproof method for predicting storm damage, understanding the various sizes of hail and how they affect your home is a great place to start!
¾” Hail
The smallest hail we measure, ¾” hail can still be damaging depending on accompanying wind speeds. Hail this size typically dings vinyl siding, window screens, metal fascia (the horizontal or angled pieces that hang from the edge of the roof) and paint on decks. We also see it dislodge granules from asphalt shingles and damage gutters and downspouts. Because of its smaller size, property owners often fail to identify the damages associated with hail under one inch.
1” Hail
Once we hit the 1” mark, we start to see bruising to shingle underlayment and significant damage to siding, gutters and fascia. Wind speeds will determine the severity of damage, and you will also see roof damage similar to damage caused by smaller sizes of hail.
1¼” Hail
With only a ¼” increase, the severity of this size of hail is much more significant. Parts of your property exposed to hail have the potential to look like Swiss cheese. Even without wind, we’ll see this hail cause damage by simply falling out of the sky.
1½” Hail
This size of hail causes significant damage to property. Depending on the amount of hail, the length of time it falls and the accompanying wind speeds, damage to your property could be severe.
1¾ – 2” Hail
Now we’re getting to the size where the hail can penetrate softer parts of a roof, such as ridge caps or plastic roof vents. Combined with wind, this size of hail can tear siding completely off a house, crack windows, and damage most types of metal fixtures.
2” Hail
Anything this size or above will cause significant and severe damage to your property. We are no longer asking “if” you have property damage, but “where” you have property damage. It’s suggested that you call a roofing contractor with insurance experience immediately after this type of storm event.
What Does Roof Damage From Hail Look Like?
If a storm brings hail that is over one inch in diameter, the hail damage to your roof will probably be obvious. When hail is combined with high wind speeds, roof damage can be even more severe. It’s likely that you will be able to see signs of damage such as cracked or broken windows, damaged siding or dented gutters. Smaller hail can cause unseen damage to your roof, so make sure you contact a Classic Construction & Restoration, Inc. to inspect your roof, free of charge, after a hailstorm – no matter how small the hail was.
What does hail damage look like on a roof?
While these are the common types of damage we see on asphalt shingles, hail can crack or even shatter harder materials like clay or concrete. This type of damage will be easy to see, but when you consider something like hail impact marks, you really start to see how a roofing expert can help spot small, important details.
Can Hail Damage to a Roof be Repaired?
Yes! Depending on the extent of the damage, repairing a roof damaged by hail can be as simple as fixing a single shingle or as involved as replacing the whole roof. This vast difference in repair options is why we suggest everyone have their roof inspected by a professional after a big hailstorm. An experienced roofer can quickly determine the severity of the damage.
Most roof inspections are also free, giving you a no-cost solution if you think your roof has been damaged during a recent or past storm. If you’re unsure on whether you need a hail damage roof inspection, look for signs of damage like the ones noted above. If you are finding more than one instance of a dented gutter or damage to your siding, you should seriously consider a hail damage roof inspection. As we mentioned before, shingle damage can be severe or relatively mild. While it’s easy to tell when severe damage has occurred, it’s more important to understand the mild damage and decide what kind of hail damage roof repairs may be needed.
What Happens When You Ignore Hail Damage Repairs?
When ignored, shingle and roof damage can quickly turn into leaks or ice dams, which create ice build-up on the eaves of sloped roofs. These eventually turn into mold damage, electrical issues, or rotting wood — all of which are expensive to fix.
Wood rot and mold, for example, can spiral out of control and are hard to detect until it’s almost too late – causing increased costs and a ton of headaches. Being proactive about potential issues like these can save you thousands of dollars and keep your property in great condition.
Handling Hail Damage
Okay, so now that you know how to see if your roof or exterior has hail damage, it’s important to find a roofing contractor that you trust and, preferably, one that has experience working on projects that require extensive and, often complicated, insurance claims.
Is a hail damaged roof covered by insurance?
A typical homeowner’s insurance policy will include coverage for roof damage from hail, but coverage may be applied differently depending on where you live, who your insurer is and the details of your policy. Coverage may not include what you expected.
How long do I have to file an insurance claim for hail damage?
Many insurance companies require you to file a claim within one year after determining that your roof has sustained hail damage. We recommend that you make an appointment to have your roof inspected as soon as possible after you suspect roof damage caused by hail. You want to be sure that you have plenty of time to review damage assessments as well as any quotes for hail damage roof repairs in order to make the hail claim window.
Now that you know how to tell if your roof or exterior has hail damage, and what to do if you find it, keep us in mind when Texas storms hit. Classic Construction & Restoration, Inc. promises to deliver top-quality work on budget and on time. We’re ringing in the new year with our same promise as we do every year – to value our clients as a top priority. From pre-construction, staging and planning, to the deployment of our team to your property, we only bring you the best quality service. Contact us today for an estimate today!