The Severity of Hail Damage

6/8/2020 (Permalink)

Hail damage is bad for a roof when it leads to roof leaks and other issues

Hail damage to the roof of your house can be devastating. Following a hailstorm, you should check your roof and address any problems immediately. Otherwise, water could enter your home from holes in the roof and flood the property. 
 

What Affects the Severity of Hail Damage? 
 

Some hailstorms can cause little or no damage to your Newport News, VA home. Others, however, can create disastrous holes in your roof. How much harm hail creates depends on several factors: 

• Density and size of the hail 
   
• Home barriers 
   
• Wind 
   

• The state of the roof 
   
   

Obviously, the larger and denser the hailstones, the more damage they can cause. The size of hailstones varies wildly based on the storm. The stones can be as large as a softball or as small as a pea. 
Certain barriers can also shield your home from hailstones. If you have fences or large trees near your house, your roof could be spared from major damage. 
Hailstones are not the only feature of hailstorms. They also usually include high winds. The speed and direction of this wind can affect the amount of hail damage to the roof. 
Finally, certain characteristics of the roof itself can affect how susceptible it is to harm from hailstorms. Hail can ding aluminum sidings but cause cracks in vinyl sidings. Roofs that are older or poorly maintained could also get damaged more easily. 
 

What Are Signs of Hail Damage? 
To be safe, you should inspect your roof after every hailstorm. Of course, not every roof defect is caused by hail. However, if your composition or asphalt shingles look shiny or lose granules, they may have been affected by hail. Wood shingles, meanwhile, could have sharp or brown splits as a result of hail. If you notice any of these issues, contact hail damage repair specialists immediately. 
Depending on the nature of your home and the size of the storm, hail damage to the roof can be extensive. To limit the harm to your property, keep the roof well-maintained, and fix any defects right away.