Detecting Signs of Roof Hail Damage

The roof is one of the key areas that keep your home or business safe and secure from the elements. When the roof is damaged by inclement weather, such as a hailstorm, what may start out as a small issue can easily turn into a big problem. The information below covers the telltale signs of hail damage on asphalt shingle roofs, slate tile, and metal roofs.

The roof is one of the key areas that keep your home or business safe and secure from the elements. When the roof is damaged by inclement weather, such as a hailstorm, what may start out as a small issue can easily turn into a big problem. The information below covers the telltale signs of hail damage on roofs.

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.

Source: modernize