Hail storms are in season and the damage they leave can be minimal to quite serious. Home owners need to be aware of what damage has been done after a hail storm has passed. Most hail damage is easy to recognize on belongings like cars and patio furniture. Large dents are usually the result of large hail and can do a considerable amount of damage to a great deal of your belongings. One of the most important areas to inspect after a hail storm is your roof. Hail damage to a roof can result in leaks that lead to major roof repairs and costly expenses you had not planned for.
Does Insurance Cover Hail Damage to Roof?
It is important to keep your roof in the best possible condition to avoid any structural deterioration that may lead to leaks that your insurance company will not cover. However, your homeowners insurance should cover hail damage and any other roof damage caused by extreme weather such as strong winds, rain, hurricanes, hail, fallen tree limbs etc.). If you suspect hail damage to your roof, you must call your insurance company first and then a roofing contractor. There are many insurance companies that will consider replacing a roof due to hail damage, but the roof must first be properly inspected and assessed. It is necessary for the insurance companies to get a professional opinion from a roofing contractor before they will even think about repairing the damage that has been done to your roof from a hail storm.
What Does Roof Look Like After Hail Damage?
Some steps you can take on your own before calling out a professional is to take a look at your roof. If you have a metal roof, look for any dents or soft dents. These will indicate the size of the hail that was hitting your house. Any parts of your roof that sit flat will have received a direct hot from the hail storm resulting in an area with more damage than others. It is important to inspect this area thoroughly for any possible leaks or other damage. Make sure you look over each shingle and their edges to identify any shingle damage. Hail hits often appear as shiny spots on your shingles or spots that are black in color. Loss of granules can also occur, which may expose the roof felt. If you were to touch a hail hit on your asphalt shingles, it would be soft to the touch, like the bruise on an apple.
What Should You Look for in a Roof After a Hail Storm?
Keep an eye out for missing pieces of asphalt during your roof inspection. Some hail storm damage is not always visible. You can run your hand over each shingle to see if there are any dents or difference in levels. If any dents show any sign of give when lightly pushed on, this means that the shingle has begun to deteriorate at some point. Look for any signs of cracks on your shingles. If hail hits your roof hard enough, it can leave a circular crack in your shingles. Hail storms that produce hail smaller than an inch in circumference can leave damage that is difficult to identify. Hail that measures larger, up to two or more inches will leave a significant amount of damage that should be easy to identify.
Roof Inspection, Emergency Roof Repairs, Replacement & More in Conroe, Pasadena, The Woodlands, Pearland, Sugar Land & Houston, TX
Skyline Designs Roofing & Restoration will take care of any hail damage that your home has experienced. We can come out and inspect your roof, identify the damage and offer an honest recommendation for the best way to address it. Call us today!
