When hail hits your roofing, it can easily damage the area and other parts of your property. While stronger hailstorms can be quite destructive, the amount of damage done may vary.
Roof Hail Damage Factors
Below are some of the most important factors that can affect the type and degree of damage that can be impacted by a hailstorm. Use this as a guide to help identify hail damage to your roofing system.
Size And Density
Size undoubtedly affects the degree of damage to your roof and surrounding property. Sometimes hailstones can be as large as a baseball or as small as a pea. Hailstones will not typically feature smooth edges, which can impact the amount of damage left behind.
Wind
During any sort of hailstorm, wind speed can vary. Wind condition changes can also affect the severity and location of hail damage.
Barriers
Positioning of neighboring structures, including trees, landscaping and other homes, can help to reduce the impact of hailstorms.
Building Materials
Building materials can absorb hail differently. For instance, hail can crack wood shakes or vinyl siding, while only causing dings to asphalt shingles and aluminum siding. Additionally, the condition and age of the roof can affect the degree of damage.
What Does Hail Damage Look Like On A Roof?
Shingles, for example, can react differently when struck by a hailstorm. There is no doubt that hail damage to composition and asphalt shingles looks much different than damage done to wood shingles. It is important for home and business owners to have a grasp on the differing effects of damage caused by hail.
Asphalt And Composition Shingle Hail Damage
- Random damage with seemingly no pattern.
- Blackened dings.
- Loss of granules.
- Asphalt may appear shiny.
- Hail dings that may be soft to the touch.
Wood Shingle Hail Damage
- Shingle splits that appear brown or orange.
- Marks or dents along the splits.
- No deterioration found on edges of the splits.
- Shingle split with sharp edges.
What Does Hail Damage Do To A Roof?
Hail damage can vary based on several factors, such as size, wind direction, wind speed, roof material, age of roof and the slope. Hail damage can ultimately lead to some costly roof leaks, among other issues. It’s the cosmetic damage that can be more severe than it appears. Broken edges, punctures, bruises and granule loss have been known to cause serious consequences. Let’s take a look at a few specific types of damage:
Shingle Cracks
- Hard hailstorms can grip the shingles, causing cracks. This ultimately causes exposure and tears, creating bare spots on the roof. Cracked shingles will not be able to properly protect your roof from any inclement weather in the future.
Granule Loss
- This is essentially the sandpaper-like part of shingles. When shingles lose granules, asphalt coating is then exposed to the elements. This will lead to accelerated aging. Always check your gutters after hailstorms to see if any granules have come free.
Fractured Fiberglass Mat
- This can be slightly difficult to detect and usually requires a professional check. Fractured fiberglass can end up causing tears and cracks.
Exposed Fiberglass Mat
- Hail can shatter the shingles’ surfacing, causing it to break free from the mat underneath.
Weakened Self-Seal Strip
- Hail and high gusts of wind can weaken your shingle’s seal integrity. Weakened seals cause shingles to blow off and leave the roof exposed. Whenever a shingle is damaged, its integrity has been compromised.
G Keith Roofing and waterproofing in New York
At G Keith Roofing and waterproofing, we know choosing a Roofing Contractor in the New York Area is a tough job. We are here to help make it easier! Locally owned and operated, G Keith Roofing and waterproofing has been providing roof installation and roof repairs throughout the surrounding New York areas since 1995. With each new roofing project, we strive to provide professional, timely service at a fair price. Contact G Keith Roofing and waterproofing right here!
