Dealing With Severe Weather
As we approach spring, the likelihood of damaging snowstorms diminishes, but the possibility of even more damaging hailstorms increases. When we hear “hail”, we most often think about how it will affect our vehicles. However, many don’t stop to think about what it could do to their homes. When hail hits your home’s roof, it can damage the shingles, gutters, and other structures. Depending on numerous factors, the damage can range from aesthetic to a full loss that will require you to get a new roof. Here’s how to identify if your roof has been damaged by hail and what to do next.
How Severe is Your Damage?
You can often tell how severe the damage to your roof is by paying attention to the hailstorm. These factors will have a huge influence on how much your roof is impacted by the storm:
How strong the wind is Wind speed and wind direction affect the angle of impact of accompanying hail as well as how hard it strikes your home. The stronger the wind, the more damaging the storm will be.
Density and size of hail The size and density of the little balls of ice that strike your house is the biggest factor when it comes to damage. Hailstones can range in size from that of a pea to that of a softball. The larger and more jagged of corners the hailstone has, the more likely it is to damage your home.
What your roof is made of The type and quality of materials used on your roof will affect how much it can absorb without being compromised. A hailstone can tear shingles, crack tiles, put dings in metal roofing, and create tears in the vinyl coating. In general, the higher the quality of materials on your roof and the better the condition they are in, the less damage the hail will do.
What barriers are present The more barriers you have around your home to affect the speed and angle of the hail, the better. If there are neighboring homes, trees, landscaping features, fences, and other barriers present, your home will be safer during a hailstorm.
How Do You Know if You Have Hail Damage?
The best way to identify hail damage is to work with a professional like those at Hometown Roofing who can come to your home after a hailstorm and see if the storm caused any damage. They are experienced and have seen hundreds of roofs with hail damage and can easily spot damage to different types of roofs. Damage to wood shingles looks much different than damage to composition and asphalt shingles. For example, hail can cause loss of granules on shingle covered, exposing the underlying materials. It can also cause areas on the roof to look shiny or polished. Some areas that are impacted by hail may be soft to the touch or have a spongy quality. Splits in shingles are also common.
Not only is it dangerous for you to get on your roof to try to identify damage, it also may be tough to get a good idea of the level of damage when you don’t know what to look for.
There are many things that can damage your roof. Knowing common culprits, such as hailstorms, will help you keep an eye (and an ear) out to identify when possible damage has occurred. If you think a hailstorm has compromised the integrity of your roof, give the experts at Hometown Roofing a call for a free consultation.
