You’ve endured a number of hail storms or one large storm in your Austin neighborhood, and now you’re wondering if there might be some hail damage on your roof. You can go out and look at your roof from the street or the yard, but you might not really see anything from that distance. As a homeowner, you might grab a pair of binoculars to view the roof from the ground, or glance around the top of your house from a tall ladder. But, do you really know what to look for or how to spot hail damage on your roof? That’s what we’re going to discuss in this blog post.
Tips for Spotting Hail Damage on your Roof
Hail damage might seem like an issue that would present itself pretty easily. You might see nicks in your shingles or shingles out of place on your roof, right? It sounds accurate, but remember, shingles on your roof and the materials underneath your roof are designed to withstand the impact of weather and storms. If hail hits your roof, it more than likely won’t put an actual hole in your shingles, thankfully. This is the reason we have durable roofing products on our homes.
At the same time, a roof can still be damaged by hail, especially after repeated storms. Hail damage will often present itself in a variety of ways most homeowners might not expect, too, and a professional roofer is trained and educated on what to see, how to inspect a roof properly, and understand what is damaged and what isn’t.
In order to spot hail damage on your roof, it must be looked at while standing on the roof itself.
How Hail Damages a Roof
Hail damage on a roof will present in a variety of ways. Your roof shingles could be cracked, torn, missing, broken, or split. These are some of the obvious issues to observe. Hail damage, however, will also show areas on your asphalt shingles that are more subtle. For example, if you have hail damage, it will likely appear like small dents of missing shingle granules. You may see the shingle backing without anything covering it.
If you look over your gutters and at any exposed flashing and ventilation, you will probably see some denting or even holes from the hail impact. Hail can be pretty destructive. We like to think of that damage as signs your roof did its job to protect your home and everything inside it.
Identifying Hail Damage on Roof Shingles
Eight issues to look for on your asphalt shingle roof when you suspect hail damage.
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Circular pit or divot in your shingles that are dark in color
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Loss of shingle granules
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Splits or cracks in shingles
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Dents in shingles, gutters, ventilation
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Missing or torn shingles
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Damage to skylights
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Damage to trim
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Other hail damage on the house or in the yard
How Much Hail Damage Warrants a Roof Replacement?
A roofing expert and an insurance inspector need to evaluate your roof to determine if hail damage has occurred. They will make determinations and assessments of the damage based on the appearance of the roof and shingles. If they notice some roofing damage from hail like mentioned above, a measurement will be done to determine whether it’s necessary to complete repairs or if a roof replacement is necessary.
Each insurance group is different, but there are some common factors all carriers look at when it comes to hail damage. Often if there are 7-10 hail damage points on your roof in a 10 x 10-foot area, your roof will need to be replaced. It can also depend on the age and pitch of your roof, but this many hail damage spots on your asphalt shingles are something that needs to be addressed.
Your Local Austin Area Roofing Professionals
We strive to bring you the best in roofing for the Austin, Texas area. We deliver decades of roofing experience, training, and knowledge in this area’s needs. We are a prominent roofing company in residential roof repair and roof replacement. We will not ask for a deposit on labor or materials as a dependable way to stand out from the competition while bringing you the best product and service in Austin.
When we inspect, install, or repair your roof, we want to provide you with the best options for your roof design, components, and ventilation. We are Master Elite Contractors bringing you the latest in roofing technology, and a member of our local area Better Business Bureau, so you know we take pride in our work and our community.
Contact us by phone or email to schedule your FREE roofing inspection and quote today.
