Hail damage is one of the most serious types of destruction that can happen to a roof. Even if it appears fine from the ground, there could still be less obvious damage requiring roof repair. To reduce the chance that hail damage could be overlooked and cause other more widespread damage, professional roof services recommend taking a closer look. Inspect your roof and look for the following important signs indicating that hail damage may be present.
Not All Hail Damage Is Obvious
The most important thing to understand about hail damage is that it is not always obvious. Major damage such as torn and missing shingles or large dents may be easy to see from the ground; however, other imperfections caused by hail may not be. When this type of damage goes unnoticed and no roof repair is made, there is a greater possibility that a problem can become more serious and costly to fix.
Depending on the material, even minor damage like small dents in the surface can lead to premature decomposition. Because of this possibility, you should always carefully check your roof after a storm to look for less obvious signs of damage and call roof services if necessary.
Look for Different Types of Hail Damage
After a hail-producing storm has passed, go outside and take a good look at your roof to determine if roof repair is necessary. Hail damage could look different depending on the individual roofing material. Be sure to do the following:
- Look for Surface Damage - Begin by looking for more obvious damage such as torn, broken, or missing shingles or tiles and shingles that are lifted up from the surface. Look for dents in metal panels or wood shingles. Examine the roof for dents in asphalt shingles, cracks in the granule-covered coating, or places where the asphalt coating has been removed and the fiberglass mat exposed. You may need to get on a ladder or call roof services to inspect your shingles to determine whether these less obvious types of damage are present.
- Check the Flashing - Besides carefully inspecting the surface and shingles, look for damage to the flashing and seals around corners, vents, and other roof protrusions. Hail that bounces off asphalt shingles can still dent and ding metal flashing, affect its water tightness, and cause corrosion. Flashing could be missing after a hailstorm and need prompt roof repair.
- Check the Gutters - Physical damage to your gutters is easy to see yet is an easy fix. If you have asphalt shingles, gutters offer important insight into other, less obvious damage that may require roof repair. When gutters collect large amounts of asphalt granules from shingles, it suggests the protective asphalt coating has suffered hail damage. Widespread loss of this coating can reduce the durability of your shingles, shortening the life of your roof, and making leaks more likely.
Hail can be extremely damaging to roofs long after the storm is over. Once the winds have calmed and the rain has stopped, walk around your house looking for signs your roof covering has sustained hail damage and requires roof repair. Some of these signs may be harder to notice than others. The best thing to do after a hail storm is call local roof services to take a closer look and assess your roof for damage!