Essentially, roofs are designed to offer the first line of defence to your home against extreme weather conditions. However, sometimes your roof may suffer damages that call for immediate action to prevent the damages from becoming severe. Therefore, whenever a large storm hits your area, it is important to inspect your home, particularly the roof, for hail damage. Even with strong roofing materials, your roof could be damaged by hail depending on, among other aspects, the speed of the wind and size or density of the hail. Identifying whether your roof survived the hail or not is critical to finding remediation actions in case it did. For this reason, before you start your inspections, here are a few things you may want to know.
The Indicators of Hail Damage Will Vary Depending On the Type of Roof You Have
Roofs are made of different materials, which means they will be affected differently by a hailstorm. If you have an asphalt roof, loss of granules are the first signs you should look for. The loss could be partial or complete depending on the severity of the hail. The loss of granules may appear as dark spots on your roof. Sometimes the granules end up in your roof gutters or on the walkways around your house, so be sure to check those areas. Another form of hail damage typical of asphalt roofs is bruising, and it occurs when the impact of the hailstones disperses the granules or makes dents on the roof without leaving visible marks. If you run your hand gently over the surface of your asphalt shingles, you will feel bruising as indentations or small depressions.
Metal roofs are typically more resistant to damage by hail than their asphalt counterparts, which is why many homeowners living in hailstorm-prone areas are likely to prefer it. However, if the hailstorm is severe, the roof may suffer some damages. Look for dings and dents on the roof when inspecting for hail damage. Hail dents will often appear lighter than the adjacent roof areas. For tiled or wooden roofs, hail damage usually leaves small cracks, so check for those.
Be Keen On Other Roof Areas
Sometimes hail damage may not be easy to spot, especially if you have a strong roof, such as one made of metal. In this case, you have to check other areas on the roof besides the shingles. The roof vents and flashings around protrusions such as chimneys are often key spots to check. If they are dented, chances are your roof has also suffered hail damage. It is always a good idea to have an experienced roofing contractor make an assessment of the damages to determine the severity of the hail damages.
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