Hail is one of the most damaging weather-related event — for people, cars and buildings such as homes. The sheer impact of what can be golf-ball-sized hail can cause significant damage to anything it lands on.
Hailstorms can be quite destructive, but they don’t always cause catastrophic damage. In fact, how much damage hail causes often varies greatly, depending on things such as the density and size of the hail itself and how much wind is involved in the storm, as well as other factors such as barriers in place and building materials used on the things that it hits.
Your home’s roof is one of the most vulnerable things to hail damage, both because it is the highest point of your home and because it covers such a wide swath of it.
Unfortunately, it can sometimes be challenging to spot hail damage. Below are some signs that your roof may have been damaged after a hail storm.
What Are Some Signs of Hail Damage on a Roof?
Sometimes, hail damage can be very easy to spot. Very large hail — that’s one in or more in diameter — can leave huge dings and/or dents on the shingles.
One of the issues, though, is that dings and dents aren’t only indicative of hail damage. These things could also be caused by other objects falling, such as branches from trees.
One giveaway that the damage your roof has suffered has come from hail is if there are dings and dents or splatter marks that are on penetrations of your roof, including the gutters, vents and flashing.
If you have asphalt shingles — as a majority of homeowners do — you also should look to see if the shingles appear shiny. This could be a sign of hail damage.
In addition, the shingles may feel soft when you touch them, akin to a bruise that’s left on apples. You might also notice that there are black spots left on your shingles, or that some of the granules that are in the shingles are gone, which causes other parts of the roof to be exposed.
Can You Spot Hail Damage From the Ground?
Untrained homeowners may not want to climb onto their roof to check for damage. Depending on how high your home is, what the slope/design of the roof is and what the weather conditions are, it’s probably advisable to allow trained professionals to be the ones to inspect your roof from above.
If you can climb on a ladder to inspect the roof — but not climb on the roof itself — then that would be preferable.
Luckily, there are some other signs of hail damage that you can look for from the ground — without the need for a ladder at all. That’s because when a hailstorm comes, it’s likely to leave its mark on other parts of your property, too.
This means that you can look for the same dents/dings and splatter marks on things on the side of your home or around it, such as a grill, air conditioning unit and electric meter. You can also look to see if other soft metal structures on your property also have dents, including a shed, garage door, above-ground pool, play structure and mailbox.
You can check for similar damage on your cars — both on the roof and on the hood — as well as on any of your gutter downspouts. Make sure that you look for these markings on the downspouts that are at least five feet above ground, as dings or dents lower could have been caused by other things such as a lawnmower, blower or trimmer.
Finally, look for any holes that may be in window screens that weren’t there before. If this happens following a hailstorm, it’s very possible that your home suffered hail damage.
What Should You Do if You Spot Hail Damage?
If you believe that you’ve spotted hail damage on your property and/or roof, your next step should be to immediately contact a local roofing company that you can trust. Have them come to your property and inspect the roof.
Experienced companies such as The Roof Resource have the know-how on how to remain safe while climbing on your roof. They can also use advanced technology such as drones to fly above your roof to capture pictures and video of any potential damage, without risking anyone climbing on the roof.
If the roofing company has determined that your roof has suffered significant enough damage that a roof replacement is necessary, you’ll want to contact your insurance company next.
Does Home Insurance Cover Hail Damage?
While every home insurance policy is different, most will cover damage sustained during a hail storm. Of course, you’ll need to prove that the damage was caused by hail and it’s significant enough to warrant a successful claim.
You can start the claim process by calling your insurance agent. They will walk you through the process, asking you to explain what damage was done, when it occurred and if you have any photographic or videographic evidence to back up your claims.
This is where your local roofing company can help a lot. You can use some of the photos and videos that they took — along with any you took around your property — as proof.
Next, the insurance company will assign an insurance adjuster to visit your property to inspect the damage in person. If you can schedule it so that your roofer can be at that visit, it could help your claim be more successful.
Finally, the adjuster will issue a report to the insurance company, which will provide you with a final claims decision. If you agree with the decision, you will be paid to have your roof replaced, minus your deductible.
Work with The Roof Resource Following Hail Damage
Hail can cause significant damage to roofs, sometimes requiring a full roof replacement to be done. If this happens to you, it’s important to work with a local roofing company that you can trust and that has years of experience working with insurance claims.
At The Roof Resource, we are that company for you. Our team of experts has been working with insurance companies for years, helping our clients get the money, and the new roof, that they deserve.
We have a 100% virtual claims process that is hassle-free, and our approach to roof replacement services often result in our roofs costing 50% less than retail prices.
For more information, or for a free proposal, please contact us today.