After a hailstorm, you may have severe roof damage that can result in interior damage to your home. While the hailstorm itself is unavoidable, you can minimize the damage by making sure your roof is in good shape before the storm.
How to Know When Hail causes Roof Damage
After a hailstorm, you need to check to see if you will need a roof repair. Keep in mind that since hail falls in random patterns, yours may be only one of the few homes that are damaged in your neighborhood. There are a few things you should look for when inspecting your home for this type of damage.
Signs of Hail Damage to Your Property
Take some time to look around your property for things like:
- Plants that are missing their leaves
- Dented vehicles
- Damaged HVAC units
- Damage to exterior furnishings
Signs of Roof Damage From Hail
It’s best to leave this inspection to a trustworthy roof repair company. If you choose to do it yourself, make sure you follow appropriate safety guidelines.
Surface Hail Damage
The signs of roof damage to an asphalt shingle roof after a hailstorm include:
- Round black areas
- Small divots
- Bruises
- Loss of protective granules
Hidden Roof Damage From Hail
You won’t always know that you need roof repair simply by looking at your roof’s surface. A hailstorm’s impact may cause your shingles to split – something that’s seen only from their backside. You’ll need to lift and examine each shingle here. At the same time, you should also look for other places that might have damage (e.g., chimney caps or covers, flashing, skylights, gutters, and roof vents).
Imitation Hail Damage on a Roof
Properly identifying exactly what type of roof damage you have is the first step in determining what type of roof repair you’ll need. Sometimes what you may think is hail damage may be caused by something else entirely (e.g., wind and debris defacement, age). This is why it’s essential to have a professional roofing company inspect your roof after a hailstorm.
Two of the most common things that you may mistake for hail damage are:
- The sun may cause UV degradation, which results in blistering and cracking.
- When shingles were installed, scuffing damage may have occurred.
Once you’ve identified that this type of damage has occurred, your roofing contractor can give you information and an estimate regarding the next steps of fixing or replacing your roof.
How to Know When to Fix Hail Damage
Knowing whether your roof damage is cosmetic or something that’ll impact your roof’s performance can be challenging unless you see water visibly passing through it. Hail damage that causes granule loss to your shingles can also affect their performance because these granules help protect the asphalt from UV light degradation. Eventually, if this is left untreated, it will probably result in you needing an entirely new roof.
You will probably need some roof repair work after a hailstorm, so it’s a good idea to reach out to us at Avatar Roofing in Tampa, FL, to minimize the storm’s impact. Early detection and repairs are vital so contact us before the next storm arises.
Picture Credit: iStock