In 2014, State Farm paid out almost 2.5 billion dollars in wind and hail damage. If you live in tornado alley, you could be at a greater risk of hail than you might think.
Do you need to carry out a hail damage roof inspection but don’t know where to begin? To learn more about what roof hail damage looks like, check out this simple guide!
How to Perform a Hail Damage Roof Inspection
If your area experienced a hail storm featuring 1” projectiles or larger, your roof might have been harmed. If you plan on filing a claim with your insurance company over hail damage to your roof, it is important to document any holes or other destruction that occurred.
For your insurance company to process any hail damage claims, there needs to be at least eight strikes in a ten-foot by ten-foot area. There also needs to be damage on several sides of the roof. To reduce the chance of your insurance company denying your claim, you should document as much damage as possible.
Before conducting a visual inspection of your roof, make sure to take all appropriate safety measures. Inspect your ladder to make sure it is in working order and never climb a ladder by yourself without letting someone know. If you do not own any roofing boots, wear appropriate shoes and bring chalk to mark any holes or other damage.
Homes with metal roofs will usually fare better in hail storms but can still be subject to damage from projectiles. You should check the flashing, valleys and any roof vents for dents. Make sure to inspect the roof’s ridge cap, as any flat areas will take the greatest amount of impact.
Another great indicator of hail damage to your roof is seeing roofing contractors working on other homes in your neighborhood. If your neighbor’s roof took enough damage to have called in a repair service, the chances are good that your roof is compromised as well.
Signs of Hail Damage to Watch out For
One of the easiest signs of hail damage to spot is any gutter dents or deformations. If your gutters has been heavily damaged, your roof has likely taken many impacts as well.
If your roof is covered with sheets of slate or clay tiles, any gouges or cracks will be fairly obvious. Wood shingles will either be splintered or split into several pieces.
For shingles that are still attached to the roof, look for any granules that have been knocked loose. While this may not seem like a big deal, any loose granules can become the site of future water leaks.
If your home has a shingled roof, hail storms can damage and dislodge individual shingles. Fragments of shingle around the perimeter of your home or even entire shingles on the ground are good indicators of hail damage. Given that hail is often accompanied by high winds, the distribution of broken materials can be fairly widespread.
Metal roofs are the easiest to spot damage on, but any fascia or exposed vents may be harder to diagnose. By rubbing chalk over the top and sides of any metal, you can see subtle hail damage more easily.
An Undamaged Roof over Your Head
Recovering from a hail storm is never easy, but performing a thorough hail damage roof inspection will make your insurance claims process much easier. To get more information on how to inspect your roof, check out Crown Remodelling LLC today!