How To Spot Hail Damage On Your Roof
When it comes to learning how to spot hail damage on your roof in Minnesota, there are countless things to look for. We understand it can be hard to find and trust a roofing contractor throughout Minnesota thats why we help you find hail damage on your shingles. Hail damage can cause harsh and long-term impacts to your roof, and it is important that you identify this issue before it causes further damage. Learn how to spot hail damage on your roof with the help of our experienced specialists.
Dont Sign Any Paperwork Until Your Roof Insurance Claim Is Approved
Like I said earlier, the roofing industry doesnt have the best reputation. One of the reasons it gained this reputation is because some roofing companies try to strong-arm homeowners into signing something before theyll inspect the roof.
Even if you’re panicking when you have storm damage, dont sign any paperwork from a roofing company before your insurance claim is actually approved.
If they want you to sign something, they’re trying to lock you into a contract that gives them the right to your roof before your claim has even been approved. When this happens, you wont get to choose your own roofing contractor.
On the other hand, a reputable roofing contractor walks you through the insurance process and gives you an honest assessment of if your roof has storm damage or not. Then if your insurance claim is approved, theyll ask for your business.
Gutters Vents Skylights And More
Roof damage isnt limited to broken roofing material. Gutter damage or a broken seal around a skylight can cause just as much of a headache as a lawn full of shingles.
From the ground, look at your gutters to see if theyve loosened, broken off from the roof or are full of debris. If a gutter cant effectively take water from the roof to its intended destination on the ground, it could gather around your homes foundation. If your gutters are still attached but full of debris, the debris could gather on the roof leading to the deterioration of roofing material and leaks.
If your home has a chimney or skylights, ask a qualified professional to check the sealed edges around them to make sure water cant make its way in. A professional should also check any exhaust fans or vents to make sure they can release air appropriately and arent blocked or clogged.
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The Insurance Claim Process To Replace Your Hail Damaged Roof
Now you know what size hail will damage your roof, how to spot it from the ground, and what to do when you first notice hail damage. If you think your roof has been damaged, youre ready to reach out to your insurance company.
But just be aware, the insurance claim process is a long and, oftentimes, confusing process. This is especially true if youve never been through it before.
So, before you pick up your phone, you need to know how the process actually works. Thats why we wrote another article guiding you through filing a claim with your homeowners insurance.
Since 1990, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has provided insurance claim guidance to homeowners in Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, and surrounding Middle Tennessee areas. We work with your insurance company to ensure you get a new roof that will last for decades to come.
What About Hail Spatter
Hail spatter – sometimes called hail splatter – results when “slushy” type hail leaves discolored marks or stains on your roof or appliances like AC units.
Spatter is evidence of hail on the property and it can be used to determine the size and direction of the hail, but the spatter marks themselves usually do not result in claimable damage.
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How Can I Prevent Hail Damage
While you cant always prevent hail damage, there are some things you can try to help prevent it. Hail damage is more likely to occur on older roofing materials, so its a good idea to upgrade to a stronger roofing material.
You can also get some hail-resistant paint or coating for your roof, which may help.
Hail Damage To Roof Shingles
While most roofs can withstand hailstorms, each roofing material will absorb and react to hailstone impact differently.
Asphalt shingle hail damage
When a hailstone hits an asphalt shingle roof, the following things typically happen:
Here are some signs that your asphalt shingle roof has been compromised:
- You can spot places where the protective granules are missing, exposing the underlying roof felt or roof membrane
- There are black or extremely dark dents on the shingles
- Fractures, holes or soft bruising appear on the shingles surface
- The damage looks random without a clear pattern
- The asphalt appears shiny
- The asphalt shows stress cracks, punctures or dimples
- The shingles are curling
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What Is Asphalt Roofing
An asphalt shingle is a type of wall or roof shingle that uses asphalt for waterproofing. It is one of the most widely used roofing covers in North America because it has a relatively inexpensive up-front cost and is fairly simple to install.
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What Is Hail How Does Hail Form
Hail is a type of frozen precipitation that can inflict massive damage to roofs, buildings and vehicles.
Hail formation is actually quite simple. Heres how it works: In freezing temperatures, a hailstone will form around tiny nuclei floating through the air, such as a water droplet or particle of dust. Carried high into the storm clouds by wind, this nascent hailstone will rapidly freeze and grow in size, picking up more moisture from the rain and water vapour as it is tossed lower into the atmosphere by the wind, only to get snatched up by storm currents again to freeze again.
The more powerful the storm winds, the longer the hail will circle back and forth between freezing and non-freezing temperatures, increasing in size. Ultimately, the hailstone will drop to the ground, inflicting damage on roofs and buildings on the ground.
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What To Do After It Hails
If youve had a severe storm with hail recently, as soon as possible after the storm passes, youll want to check your roof and document the damage. If possible, youll want to get pictures of the hailstones to get an idea of the size. All of this documentation will be provided to your insurance company on your roof damage claim. Even better, have professionals from Colony Roofers come out and inspect the roof for damage. As you inspect the roof, some of the things to look for that will indicate obvious hail damage:
- Hail hits will often appear black in color as hail tends to knock away granules on shingles. This will leave the felt below exposed to more damage.
- You may also see areas of asphalt that appear shiny.
- Feel around on your shingles. Soft spots that feel like bruises on a fruit usually indicate hail has damaged the roof.
- The damage will be random. There will be no discernible patterns.
While a few missing granules might not seem that bad, in reality, any hail damage can leave your roofing felt or underlayment exposed to other damage, especially leaks, although structural damage can occur because of particularly hard impacts. If no damage is immediately discernible, dont just leave it alone. Let a professional check it out as hail damage isnt always obvious to the untrained eye. If the hail damage goes unchecked, it might go unnoticed for several months until you find you have a leak or some other problem.
How Do I Know If My Roof Has Been Damaged By Hail
In the aftermath of a hailstorm, its important to get your roof checked for damage. Hail falls in random patterns and therefore may only damage a few houses within a neighborhood, so your roof may have damage even if your next-door neighbors roof doesnt.
Look for signs of hail damage around your yard andproperty, such as:
- Plants stripped of their leaves
- Dents in cars
- Damaged air conditioner units, or
- Evidence of damage to other exterior furnishings
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What Does Hail Damage Look Like On A Roof Ask A Roofer
A hail storm went through last night, and you could have sworn it sounded like thousands of rocks pummeling your roof. When you go to look, at first glance, you cant really tell if its damaged or not. So what does hail damage look like on a roof after all?
You may not be able to see the damage from the ground, or even up near the edge of your roof. We recommend always hiring a professional to come to take a look. We are going to walk you through our steps to identifying damage during an inspection. Because the sooner you can catch and repair the damage, the more you prevent any further damage like water leaks and mold growth.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage From A Leaking Roof
If the damage is the direct result of a storm, such as a hole made by a falling tree or wind damage, youll be covered. However, if the damage is the result of wear and tear, the repairs to your roof will not be covered. Your American Family Insurance agent can help you navigate the particulars of your policy and plan for the unexpected. And with a little preparation, you can be on the road to recovery in no time.
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How To Identify Hail Damage To Vinyl Siding
While vinyl siding can generally take on severer weather and boast its durability and resistance to extreme elements, it does have its weaknesses. Vinyl siding, while it is made to resist high winds and UV rays, it can be damaged by large hailstones falling at certain angles. For the most part, there are two main types of signs that you may have taken on hail damage to your vinyl siding.
After a hailstorm has ended, always look at your vinyl siding thoroughly, inspecting all the way around the house, from top to bottom to make sure that you dont miss any new damages. What youre looking for is either cracks in the vinyl siding where you will see that the vinyl siding has been cracked by the impact of the hailstones, or chips in the paint on the vinyl siding by the impact of hailstones.
- So to reiterate, there are two main types of signs that you have taken on hail damage to vinyl siding:
- Cracks: Areas where the hailstones have impacted your home and actually broken your homes, siding by splitting it.
- Chips: Areas where hailstones have impacted your homes vinyl siding and chipped the paint.
Assessing Different Types Of Roof Damage
If youre checking in on your roof consistently, may begin to notice warning signs of storm damage that can tell you roof damage has occurred. In some cases, roof storm damage may require you to safely get onto your roof an inspect it for trouble. Here are the types of damage that your roof can suffer:
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Get A Roof Inspection For Hail Damage
It may be difficult to spot some types of roof damage fromthe ground, so youll want to get as close to the surface of the roof aspossible for a complete inspection. We recommend scheduling an inspection witha professional roofing contractor that you trust to safely and thoroughlyinspect your roof. Most roofing contractors provide free inspections and estimates.If you do decide to inspect the roof yourself, please follow all appropriatesafety guidelines.
Repairing Hail Damage On Your Roof
The damage does not have to be obvious, or extensive, for it to become a problem. So, if you notice hail damage on your roof or other parts of your property there are some steps to take. As we stated, you should get an inspection, and file a claim.
If a storm recently went through your neighborhood, check out our post on the first things to do after a major storm.
Then, there are two things you can do: 1) You can think the damage is minimal, and wait until your ceilings start showing signs of leaks in which this will be too late for easy repairs. 2) Or, we can come to repair the minimal damage early, before any further damage occurs. Take care of your investment, and give us a call!
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Asphalt And Other Soft Tile Roofs
The most common type of roofing material, asphalt roofs may be found on most homes. An examination of asphalt roofs should include the following steps:
Can You Prevent Roof Hail Damage
If you live in an area that is prone to hailstorms, or hail is forecasted in your area, then anything on the exterior of your home and property left outdoors may be at risk for hail damage, such as vehicles, patio furniture, and landscaping.
Since you cant pull your roof into the garage when theres a storm, you may want to install roofing materials that are designed to withstand greater levels of impact, such as Class 4, impact-resistant shingles, which may help to prevent or reduce the amount of damage from hail or other debris.
Additionally, installing Class 4 shingles on your home mayqualify you for a homeowners insurance discount. Contact your insurance agentto learn more.
While you may not be able to prevent all hail related roofdamage, you can help to minimize the amount of damage and the consequences ofthat damage in your home. In addition to installing Class 4, impact-resistantroofing shingles, early detection and action are key.
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Should I Repair Or Replace My Roof
If youve experienced a hail storm that has caused severe damage to your roof, you might need a new roof. Most insurance companies will cover the cost to replace your roof if you have hail damage. However, the damage might need the attention of a professional roofer. You should have your roof inspected by a professional roofer to determine whether or not you need it repaired or replaced.
Detecting Damage To An Asphalt Shingle Roof
While asphalt is one of the most popular roofing materials due to its durability and versatility, it can be prone to damage especially from continuous direct hits from hail. Asphalt is subjected to other types of wear such as foot traffic, blister rash, or storm damage making it important to be able to distinguish between those types of damage and hail damage.
- An obvious sign of hail damage is visible on the metal flashing bordering the roof. After a hailstorm, the flashing may show a series of dents in the material.
- The area around downspouts and in the gutters may show evidence of mineral granules that have become detached from the asphalt shingles or rolled roofing. Keep in mind, this may be due to hail or from other issues.
- The direction of the hailstorm is another indicator of where the most damage may be apparent on the roof. With an asphalt covering, the area where the granules have been affected the most will expose the shingle substrate.
- The asphalt material may also show signs of round-shaped, tear-drop shaped, or pitted spots where the hail impacted the roof.
- Damaged or bruised shingles, if not replaced, will eventually become water absorbent funneling water to the underlayment and decking beneath the roofing material.
- Hail also causes cracks within the asphalt shingles and as time passes, water leakage is imminent.
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How Much Does It Cost To Repair Hailstorm Damage To Your House
While your contractor might have an idea of what it will cost to repair or replace your roof and/or siding, its the insurance adjuster who will make an inspection of their own to determine the damage. Sometimes the adjuster will find no damage, or they dont accurately assess the damage to the roof and siding, which is why its important to have your roofing contractor present while the adjuster makes their inspection.
Once the estimate letter and first check from the insurance company are in your possession, the roofing contractor reviewing the insurance estimate will determine if its an honest assessment, and if it is, work will begin. Should they find that there is a discrepancy in the estimate, the contractor will send the supplement to the insurance company.
The big question here is: whats it going to cost me? There are many aspects that come into play that will determine how much it will cost, but the big ones are the size and style of your roof determine the price. The same goes for siding. Home Advisor claims that the national average for a new roof cost $7,274. On the low end, roofs can be replaced for $1,200. The skys the limit on the high end, but a massive house using costly materials could run up to $30,000, which would be rare. Roof advisor says the following help determine the cost:
- Roof size
- Code requirements
- Pitch
- Type of application
- Location
- Obstacles, such as skylights, plumbing pipes, chimneys, etc.
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