Hail is a type of weather that occurs when strong updrafts in the atmosphere cause patches of ice to form.
These patches can grow into large balls, and they usually fall out of the sky during thunderstorms.
Hail damage looks like small dents on your roof or worse causing broken shingles.
A hail storm can do a lot of damage to your property. It’s important that you know what it looks like so when the next big one comes, you’ll be ready!
If you are wondering what hail damage looks like then this blog post will discuss how it can affect your home’s exterior and give some tips for preventing it!
What Does Hail Damage Look Like on a Roof
When one morning you wake up and you see some damages on your car, this pretty much means another thing – there are some damages on your roof too!
The damage will depend on the hail size and strength.
If the hailstones are smaller than golf balls, you might be able to see some surface damage on your roofing and exterior siding such as:
- Scratches or scrapes in paint of wood trim.
- Washed out caulking around windows and doors due to force from rainwater between shingles and exterior.
- Blistered paint from rapid expansion and contraction of shingles due to temperature changes in a short time period.
- Plastic gutters or downspouts knocked loose at the roof line, which is usually caused by hail stones larger than grapefruit size hitting them with great force.
- If you have larger sized hails that could do extensive damage, you might see broken shingles and holes in your roof.
- Your home’s exterior siding can also be damaged if the hail is larger than softball size.
Hail Damage Prevention Tips
To prevent roof damages due to hail storms or other weather events, make sure that everything on your rooftop is secure and tied down.
It is easier to prevent damage before it happens than try and fix it later!
Make sure the roof, gutters, downspouts are free of debris.
Remove all vegetation around your home’s perimeter that could hold water near shingles or other building materials making them more vulnerable to weather conditions.
Clear loose rain gutters regularly so they can do their job efficiently without clogging.
Be prepared in case of a hail storm by having your roof inspected for any damages or needed repairs before it happens, this will save you time and money when the damage has already occurred!
Hail storms are dangerous and can bring major damages to your property, especially on your roof.
It’s important that you know what it looks like so when the next big one comes, you’ll be ready! This blog post will discuss how hail damages look on roofs, some tips for preventing them.
What does hail damage look like?
How to Check for Hail Damage Safely
Hail damage is usually revealed after a hailstorm has occurred, but you can check for hail damages before they happen.
If you are wondering what hail damage looks like then this blog post will discuss how it can affect your home’s exterior and give some tips for preventing it!
- If the damaged area of siding or roofing is small, you can usually spot it by looking at the shingles or other exterior siding.
- If there are visible cracks in your shingle’s surface, this means they have been damaged and need to be replaced right away before water gets into them!
- If a larger area of roof has been affected but not completely destroyed from hail, you can usually spot it by looking at the shingles from a distance.
- If there are visible dents in them, this means they have been damaged and need to be replaced right away before water gets into them!
- Large hail damage is often accompanied with broken or loose shingle nails which will cause more of your siding or roofing to come loose.
- This will require a more extensive repair process that includes taking off the broken shingles, replacing them with new ones and repairing all damages from hails on your roof’s exterior siding!
In some cases hail damage can go unnoticed if it is minor enough where you don’t see any dents or breaks in the surface of your shingles.
This is why it’s important to check for them before they get worse, especially if you are in an area that gets frequent hailstorms!
To check from the safety ground, you may be guided from this list:
- Downspouts – If your downspouts are knocked loose or damaged, this will cause water to pool around the edges of your roof which could lead to leaks in either shingles.
- Dings or strikes on your garage door – If there are dings or strikes on your garage door, this may require repairs to the weather-stripping which could lead water penetration into your home’s interior.
- Window screens – check for holes or damage to your window screens.
- If you find a hole or tear in the screen, make sure it’s repaired before any hailstorms occur!
- Electric meter – check for splatter marks or paint chips on the meter box.
- This could mean that water has entered your electrical system and needs to be repaired immediately!
- Mailbox dents – check for dents on your mailbox.
- If the mailbox is damaged it could also mean that water has entered your electrical system and needs to be repaired immediately!
- Car dents on top – If you see dents on the roof of your car, this could mean that water has entered your electrical system and needs to be repaired immediately!
Take note that if you find all these and if hail damage is not addressed quickly it will only get worse.
Is Hailstorm Damage Covered by Insurance?
Hailstorm damage can be covered by your insurance company, but the coverage depends on how much you’ve paid for.
If hail has affected a large portion of your roofing surface and caused damages to the exterior siding then this will likely require an extensive amount of repairs that exceeds $500!
If there are just dents in smaller portions of shingles or broken shingle nails, this usually won’t be covered by your insurance company.
For hail damage that is minor enough where you don’t see any dents in the surface of your siding and if it does not affect the exterior of your roofing material then most likely it will not require extensive repairs!
For major hailstorm damage where you have broken or loose shingles, this will likely require extensive repairs that are beyond what your insurance company is willing to cover.
Are Hailstorm Damages on Roofs Repairable?
Hailstorm damages are usually repairable if the damage isn’t too extensive.
This is because any hail-related dents in shingles can be easily repaired by replacing them with new ones!
Broken or loose nails on damaged roofs will need to have pieces of broken shingles removed and replaced, so it’s important that you fix these damages as soon as possible to avoid further damage and leaks!
For hail damages like broken or loose shingles, dents in the surface of your roof’s exterior siding and broken nail pieces on roofs that require extensive repairs beyond what insurance will cover; it’s best to contact a professional contractor who has experience with hailstorm damages as they will be able to give you a professional estimate for repairs, and ensure that your roof is fixed properly with the best possible solution!
Final Thoughts
Hail storms can come without warning so it’s really essential to have an idea on what hail damage looks like on roofs.
And if you find some signs based on the notes given to you above, make sure to contact a professional contractor who will be able to give you an estimate for repairs.
If this is not fixed as soon as possible, it may become harder and more expensive!
