What To Do When Your Roof Suffers Hail Damage

Hail damage isn’t just hard on vehicles. It can impact basically your whole home, including the roof, which is often the most vulnerable to such weather extremes. Most people know that hail can cause damage, but it’s less common to know what signs to look for, or what you should do next when your roof suffers hail damage. Here’s what you need to know about how hail can affect your roof, and what you should do about it.

How Can You Tell When Your Roof Has Hail Damage?

Hail can cause a wide variety of damage to your roof, and some types of roofing materials are more susceptible to hail than others.

These are all common signs of damage from hail:

• Random Damage Patterns: unlike other kinds of damage, hail tends to leave a very random pattern on your roof. Also, some areas of your roof may show more damage than others. 
• Black Spots All Over: If you have a shingle roof, the color of the shingles comes from the protective granules covering it. Under those granules, shingles are black. So when hail hits, it can cause black spots of damage where the granules fall off. 
• Soft Spots In Your Roof: Hail can also create soft areas in your roof by essentially pulping the support structure under the roof materials. If you notice divots, dents, or places that feel a bit like the bruise on an apple, those are all damaged areas. 
• Cracking: Shingles, shakes, slate, and tile, can all develop cracks when they’re hit by hail. If you notice cracks, especially spiderweb cracks, those parts of the roof likely need repair.

Other kinds of damage can happen. If you notice anything that looks odd or strange about your roof after a hail storm, it’s a good idea to get an inspection just in case.

Next Steps After Getting Hail Damage

After a hail storm, it’s important to give your roof a visual inspection. Look for signs of damage, and see if there’s anything that needs to be addressed more urgently. You should also check your gutters and drainpipes since they might be damaged or clogged after the storm.

Here are some common signs that can help you identify when it’s time to clean your gutters. If you notice damage, alert your homeowners’ insurance so they know that you might need to make a claim.

You should also request a roof inspection from a skilled and reputable roof repair service to get a better sense of how much damage there is and what kind of repairs are needed.

Why Hail Repair Is Important

Like any roof repair, getting your roof fixed after a bad hailstorm is important for a lot of reasons. For one thing, existing damage can make it easier for your roof to be damaged again in the future.

Some existing damage can also make it easier for serious problems to happen as a result of future storms. You can also run into problems with your insurance if you don’t promptly repair known damage. If your roof is under warranty, failure to repair the roof within a certain amount of time after the storm can also void your warranty.

The sooner you get things repaired, the less likely it is that you will face more serious problems.

Need Roof Repair After Hail?

Big hail storms cause big problems. If your roof is in rough shape after a recent storm, the time to act is now. Getting your roof repaired will be faster, easier, and less costly the sooner you move to get it done.

If you need a repair after your roof suffers hail damage, Rapid Roofing can help. Contact us to schedule a free inspection and we’ll help you get your roof back to normal!