Identifying Hail Damage to Your Roof
Identifying hail damage to your roof is very important. Whenever a hail storm passes by, you are vulnerable to future repairs and a damaged vehicle. During a hail storm, the roof of your home, and any personal property are at high risk of future damages. The biggest issue with the roof covering your shelter is that it is hard to protect it from hail. A vehicle is very simple, due to it being on the ground and small. In contrast, a home roof is at least a story tall, pretty slippery during a hail storm and a steep roof, not to mention you are the main target for hail hits. Although hailstorms have a destructive perception, the damage can greatly vary.
Throughout this article, we will discuss a different type of factors that are impacted your home during a hail storm. Also, we will provide a few tips on how to identify hail damage to your roof, if an asphalt or a different material roof.
- Blockade – When a roof can be blocked by natural placement of trees, landscaping, fences, or even neighbor’s house, it can affect the damage left on the roof of your home.
- Roofing Material -Different shingles handle differently to hail. An example, hail has the ability to ding up metal siding, gutters or asphalt shingles. The effects are different to vinyl, and wooden shacks where it can crack. In contacts, when the hail is the size of a softball, it can puncture through the roof completely. Additionally, previous roofing maintenance and roof age can affect the way your roof reacts to the hail.
- Physical Attributes – The size and the density of hail can affect the home in different ways. Hail comes in different shapes and sizes, and these affect the damage greatly. Most hailstones DO NOT have smooth edges, which has an effect on the damage causes.
- Wind – If a hail storm hits, you will also feel some wind. Winds can vary between different speeds and directions. This can impact different sides of your home.
How do hail hits look on my roof?
Different kinds of shingles can react differently to hailstone hits. For example, wood and slate hail hits can look unique compared to composition or asphalt shingles. It is a good idea to learn the difference so that you can identify hail hits to your roof.
Composition and Asphalt Shingles Hail Damage
- Hail has no pattern when causing damage
- Hits are usually darker spot on the roof
- Exposed felt papers, due to loss of granules
- Mats that have a shiny appeal to them
- Based on age, hail hits can bruise to roof, like a peach
Wood Shingles Hail Damage
- Hail has no pattern when causing damage
- Wooden shingles split with an orange opening
- Spliced shingles with shape edges
- Dents, and punctures to the wood shingles
With all the different factors that are introduced in a hail storm, at times different damage can be mistaken for hail damage. An example of this is when a home does not have proper roofing ventilation. The shingles can start to blister creating damage that can be a mistake for hail. The sun and heat also have no mercy, so with age and high exposure to heat, a hailstone hit can be easily mistaken. These defects are considered to be normal wear and tear. People easily mistake them for hailstone damage. Also, manufacturers could have batches of defective shingles. And if you are can easily confuse normal manufactures defects with the hail damage.
If you suspect that your home has damage from hail, call Charlotte Pro Roofing immediately. We will gladly assist you and help you in identifying hail damage or wind damage to your roof.