Every year in the United States, several hail storms cause severe damage to properties and these damages run into billions of dollars. Because of this unusual weather phenomenon, you need to understand the right steps to take in order to properly inspect and fix your roof for Hail Damage. This is very important as your roof is the first line of defense against unwanted elements and provides protection to your loved ones.
One of the major thoughts you need to avoid if you want to prevent your roof from being damaged by a hail storm is the irrational thought whereby a homeowner thinks that as long there is no water dripping through the roof or sunlight coming through the roof that all is fine with their roof after a hail storm. They make the costly mistake of thinking that the hail storm didn’t cause any damage to their roof, so after a hail storm, they continue living like nothing happened because most times, the damage cannot be seen from the ground. Hence they assume that nothing is wrong.
This is a very big mistake and you need to avoid thoughts like that as that can result in more severe damage to your roof if the problem is not detected on time.
Here is the truth, after a major storm in your area you need to properly inspect your roof to ensure there is no damage caused by the storm and to quickly fix any damage on its early stage.
In this post, I will share with you how to properly inspect your roof after a major storm, how to know if your roof has hail damage, where to look for, and how to fix your hail-damaged roof like a pro.
Let’s dive in…
Signs of Hail Damage on Your Roof
After a hail storm, you may have shattered windows and maybe the screen of your car may be affected. These signs are very visible but when it comes to the roof of your house, you have to go up there to see if there was any damage. These are the signs you are to expect depending on your roof type:
Metal Panel Roofs
If you own a metal panel roof, the easiest way to identify the damage done to your roof by a hail storm is by looking out for dents. The bigger the hail, the bigger the dents and this ends up causing water to pool to a place and in the long run, your roof starts to rust and this is why you must discover the damage early and fix it. Also, the dents can lead to leaks and many other problems, so these are the major signs to look out for.
Asphalt Shingle Roof
The asphalt shingle roof is very popular and many homes have this kind of roof. Usually, during a hail storm, this roof suffers from circular-shaped spots. The bigger the hail, the bigger the spots, however, if the hailstones are smaller, the roof will suffer minor dents and if these dents are left, it allows water to get into the decking areas of the main roofing material. To spot this damage, you may need to run your hand over the surface of the shingle and feel for dents and dimples. Once you notice these signs. It is time to get your roof fixed for hail damage.
Concrete Tile Roof
The concrete tile roof is known to be able to withstand wear and tear. Many even feel that they are indestructible. The truth however is that, if your home experiences a severe hailstorm, even a concrete tile roof will feel the impact.
It is quite easy to spot hail damages on concrete tile roofs, once it is damaged, the concrete tile roof typically breaks especially around the weaker points of the roof. Most times, however, the concrete roof damaged is due to some problems that were not attended to in the past. Maybe an area was already having issues and it was not looked at, once there is a hailstorm, the area is likely to break. Once the concrete tile breaks, you need to replace it.
These are the various signs of hail damage on the different types of roofs. So you can now be able to identify hail damage on your roof. This is the very first step, because if you are not able to tell if there is hail damage or not, how can you fix it?
How Do You Inspect Your Roof for Hail Damage?
Normally, it is advisable to get a professional to take a look at your roof after a hailstorm. But if you want to do it yourself, the first thing to do is to look at the areas around your house. Are there any shattered windows or any other glasses? This will give you an idea of the severity of the hailstorm because the level of damage it caused on other areas will give you an idea of the damage caused to the roof.
To inspect your roof, you will need a ladder, if you are scared of heights this is not something you should do. Getting a ladder and climbing up there will give you a closer view of your roof so that you see if anything is wrong. But even if you see something wrong, please do not attempt to fix it yourself, you will end up messing everything up.
What should you look at?
The various things you need to inspect on your roof include:
- The individual tiles, shingles, and shakes. You check for dents, bruising, splits, cracks, or mineral loss depending on the type of roofing material you use.
- The overall appearance of your roof. How does it look generally? Is there any difference?
- The gutters of the roof.
- The roof vents
- The siding
- The AC Unit
- The interior ceiling to ensure that there are no leaks or water damage to the roof.
These are the things that must be inspected to discover if there is hail damage to the roof or not.
What To Do if You See Any Damage?
It is an exciting prospect to say that you will fix the damage yourself, but this is not advisable, do not even attempt to do that if you don’t have experience working on a roof because a hail damage to the roof can be tricky most times where you might think you have find the damage parts without being aware of other affected parts.
When you notice any damage to your roof after a hailstorm, here is how you should handle it:
- Take note of every damage that you notice on the roof. Take photographs if possible and write down everything you see, be as detailed as possible.
- Contact your insurance company immediately. It is very important to do this on time immediately you notice any damage.
- Your insurance company will arrange to come to assess the situation.
- They will contact a professional to determine the extent of damage caused to your roof and get back to you with their final decision.
- After which repairs can now be done by the professional. Again do not attempt to fix it yourself.
Conclusion:
Dealing with hail damage to your roof can be a bit of a stretch and most times many do not bother doing this because the damage can go unnoticed. But if you want your roof to stand the test of time and last longer, you should always inspect it after a hailstorm and take steps to get it fixed.
Lastly, like you already heard, Prevention is better than cure. If you will like to learn more on how to protect your roof from storm damage kindly click here. This post will help ensure your roof stands the best chance of avoiding damages caused by extreme weather conditions such as a hail storm.
