A hailstorm has the ability to cause severe damage to your property. Unfortunately, the damage to your roof can result in serious leaks that can compromise its structure and integrity. Recognizing signs of hail damage early on can help you create a plan of action for repairs or for a roof replacement to ensure your home remains safe and dry.
What Are Signs of Hail Damage?
Performing a visual inspection to look for roof damage is important for identifying signs of hail damage. When inspecting your roof, there are several different things to look for. Specific signs of hailstorm damage will depend on the type of roof that you have on your home.
Damage to Asphalt Shingles
Signs of roof damage from hail on asphalt shingles will appear as cracks or even tears on the surface. In some cases, hail can also cause dents to the shingles. All of these signs of damage can indicate that the tiles have been compromised and will need to be taken care of. If the shingles break off, it could expose the underlayment and lead to leaks.
Damage to Wood Shingles
Hail has the ability to completely crack wood shingles or cause them to fall off the roof. When inspecting your roof for damage, you may notice wood pieces scattered on the ground below. This can indicate that your roof has suffered damage due to hail and needs to be fixed.
Damage to Metal Shingles
Although metal roofs tend to hold up the best against hail, they are in no way immune from roof damage. Hail can cause dents or punctures on the roof, which can impact the ability of the metal to provide adequate protection.
Noticing any signs of hail damage can be terrifying. However, recognizing when you need to make a repair to the roof damage is essential.
Should I Fix Roof Damage From Hail?
If the roof is leaking as a result of hail damage, it can have a severe impact on your home. Leaks can quickly result in mold growth on the property, which not only compromises the performance of the roof but also places your health at risk. Knowing when to make the necessary repairs is vital.
There are instances where roof repairs are not needed. In these cases, the damage from the hail is purely cosmetic. This means that the damage that your roof has suffered will not impact its functionality in any way. However, this is not always the case.
Alternatively, if the damage to your roof affects its structure, it is necessary to have repairs performed in a timely manner. Without taking the appropriate steps toward correcting the issue, your roof may leak and lead to more severe problems.
It can be difficult to determine if the hail damage to your roof is severe enough to require a roof repair. For this reason, you should reach out to our experts at Freeman Exteriors to schedule an inspection to determine the best course of action moving forward.
Steps to Follow if You Suspect Hail Damage
If you suspect that hail damaged the roof of your home, there are several steps that you need to take to determine if you have any serious issues to worry about and what you should do moving forward.
1. Determine the Severity of the Damage
Knowing how intense the storm was can help provide you with a sense of whether there is a chance that your roof was damaged. Hail can range in size from less than half-inch in diameter up to a few inches in thickness. When thick hail is combined with high winds and heavy rain, it has the potential to cause severe damage to anything it comes into contact with.
A general rule of thumb is that the bigger the pieces of hail are, the more likely they are to cause severe roof damage. Smaller pieces of hail, such as those under a half-inch in size, may create some cosmetic damage but nothing too serious that warrants the need for a repair. However, you will want to inspect your roof to determine if there are small cracks or missing pieces of shingles.
2. Perform a Visual Inspection
Conduct a visual inspection of your roof to look for signs of damage. You do not have to climb onto the roof to see if hail caused any damage to your roof. While on the ground, look up at the roof to perform an inspection. Look if you see any missing shingles. Seeing any roof discoloration can indicate that shingles have broken off due to the storm. Using a pair of binoculars can enable you to check out the roof more closely without having to climb up onto it.
If you are able to access the attic of your home, take a look at the roof of your home from the inside. Look for any light shining through the roof or any signs of water penetrating through. These issues can indicate that you need to address the roof damage immediately to prevent further complications.
3. Inspect Other Areas of the Roof
In addition to checking the roof of your home for signs of damage, you will also want to check your gutters, fascia, and flashing. If there is roof damage on your home, these metal pieces will have dents on them that will be visible to you. Unfortunately, hail can cause these pieces of your home to tear away, which can lead to severe complications. Fascia and gutters that are not adequately connected to your home can result in them failing to perform correctly, which can lead to serious leaks.
Request a Roof Inspection Today
If you suspect that your roof suffered damage due to a hailstorm, reach out to our team at Freeman Exteriors right away. Whether you live in the Champaign, IL, area or near Lafayette, IN, our experts can come to your home and perform a roof inspection to determine if there is roof damage and whether you need it repaired immediately. You can reach our team by contacting us at 217-355-5447 to get started.
