Recognizing Hail Damaged Roofs

Asphalt and composition shingles hail damage.

Recognizing hail damaged roofs.

How to spot roof hail damage no matter how large the hailstones are they can cause damage to your roof and you need to inspect your roof closely. Random damage with no discernable pattern. Here noticeable signs of damage. Your shingles will show the most signs of damage in the direction of the hail.

Use these to support your claim. One of the tricky things about recognizing the signs of hail damage is that it s sometimes unnoticeable unless you are physically on the roof or have a drone and even then you would have to know what to look for. If you see exposed roofing felt or plywood sheathing you definitely have hail damage. Additionally you ll want to pay attention to the wind direction of the storm.

Hail damage often accompanies wind damage to roofing systems so you ll want to look for both. If a hail storm hits document the date and take pictures of the damage prior to any cleanup or repairs. However there are some guidelines. Random damage with no discernable pattern.

If you can snap photos of the hail but only if it s safe. As a result many damaged roofs are never repaired or replaced. Loss of granules which may expose the roof felt. Hail hits that are black in color.

The visual signs of hail damage vary depending on the materials of the roof. Asphalt and or mat that appears shiny. If your roof contains one layer of common asphalt shingles it usually takes a 1 or above diameter hail stoneto cause damage roof hail damage. Wood shingles hail damage.

Signs of hail damage usually become apparent only after a few years when it has turned into leaks or other more serious issues. Cover any roof or window damage with a waterproof tarp to protect against further water damage. May be evident as the loss of metal coatings by hail scouring dents in metal roofing dents in wood shingles or shakes or broken clay or concrete tile roof coverings. Pieces missing from asphalt splits and cracks in the shingles.

The effect on your roof is gradual and it all starts when hail hits your roof and knocks off the protective granule coating of the roof shingles. Check out all the roof vents and features to look for any damage. Shingles with a granular texture such as those made from asphalt or composite materials may show granular loss that exposes the underlying felt random dents with no perceptible pattern and soft spots on the surface. Look for dents dings chipped surfaces etc.