What To Look For After A Hail Storm Goes Through Your Area

After a hail storm hits your area, you need to make sure that you check your roof for damage. Hail storms, especially ones with large hail, can leave behind serious damage on your roof. After a hail storm, you want to check your roof and make sure that it is not damaged.

The tricky thing with hail damage is that it can be hard to see by just looking at your roof from the ground. To detect hail damage, you really have to get up on your roof. Even then, it can sometimes take a while for hail damage to show itself, so if the storm was really serious, check on your roof in a few weeks as well to see if damage has become apparent and you need storm damage repair.

Lost Granules Are #1 Sign of Hail Damage

The most common sign of hail damage to your roof is an increase in the amount of granules that your shingles have lost. After a hail storm, it is common for your gutters to be full of granules. If you see an excessive amount of granules in your gutters, be sure to take some pictures to document this. Pictures can help prove to your insurance company that the lack of granules on your roof is due to hail damage.

Lost granules may happen right away, or make take a while to become evidence as the rain washes the granules away. Hail damage often accelerates the aging process of your shingles. Lost granules are not a cosmetic problem; they are a structural issue.

Cracks in the Granule-Asphalt Surface

The second most common sign of hail damage are cracks in the granule-asphalt surface. That is the part of the shingle that you can see when you just look at it. When hail hits your shingles, it can create a circular divot and radiating cracks from the divot where the hail hit your shingles.

Oftentimes, you may need to look at your shingles up close to notice these cracks. They are visible, and you can feel them if you touch your shingles instead of just looking at them.

If your hail storm was accompanied by high winds that loosened shingles on your roof, radiant cracks are often easier to spot on loose shingles.  

Exposed & Fractured Fiberglass Mat

Under the granule-asphalt surface of your shingles is a fiberglass mat. You don't often see this part of your shingles. When the hail is strong enough, it can actually break through the outer granule- asphalt surface and shatter that outer surface. This can leave the fiberglass mat underneath exposes.

The fiberglass mat may also have radiant cracks from hail impact. It can often take time for these cracks to appear, and they can lead to water damage as water seeps through the various cracks in your shingles.

If you spot or suspect hail damage to your roof, have a roofing inspector come out, check out your roof, and document the damage. If they confirm hail damage, be sure to contact your insurance company to file a claim as soon as possible so you can get assistance with paying to fix your roof.

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