2 Ways To Identify Hail Damage on Your Roof

February 24, 2023

A hail damage roof can be a major problem for homeowners, especially those in areas prone to severe weather. Fortunately, there are ways to identify hail damage on your roof before it becomes a bigger issue. 

It’s crucial to recognize and repair roof hail damage as soon as possible.

This article will examine two approaches to detecting hail storm damage, whether homeowners insurance covers roof hail damage, and the next steps after detecting roof damage. So let’s get started!

2 Ways To Identify Roof Hail Damage

Below are the two best ways to identify a hail-damaged roof.

Look For Damage at the Ground Level

Hail damage can be difficult to spot from the ground, but it is possible. If you’re looking for hail damage on your roof, examine the ground around your home. Look for dents or indentations in metal objects such as cars and outdoor furniture. You may also notice broken branches or leaves that hail stones have damaged.

If you find evidence of hail at the ground level, then there’s likely some damage to your roof. However, it’s important to note that not all roofs are equally susceptible to hail damage; asphalt shingles fare better than wood shakes or slate tiles.

Inspecting the gutters and downspouts can also help identify potential problems with a roof caused by hailstorms. Check for any loose material or debris that could indicate missing granules from asphalt shingles due to impact from hail stones. 

Also, look out for dented areas along gutter edges which could suggest underlying issues with the roof deck itself caused by large hailstones hitting directly against it during a storm event.

Finally, inspect nearby buildings and homes to compare what type of damage they experienced compared with yours. 

This inspection will give you an idea if your property has sustained more severe impacts than others nearby during a storm event. This information can be helpful when filing insurance claims related to hail-related damages on roofs and other structures around your home.

Once you have identified any visible signs of hail damage from the ground level, be sure to examine your roof shingles up close for further evidence. This examination can aid in ascertaining whether any roof components necessitate mending or substitution.

Examine Roof Shingles

If you can safely access your rooftop (without putting yourself at risk), examining individual shingles is another great way to determine whether or not there has been any hail-related damage done recently.

When examining hail roof damage, looking closely at the shingles is important. Hail can cause dents and even break or dislodge shingles. If you detect any distress on your roofing, it could indicate that hail has caused some harm.

Look for dents in the shingles. These are usually small indentations caused by hail stones hitting the shingle’s surface. They will often appear as circular or oval-shaped marks on the shingle’s surface and can range from very small to quite large, depending on the storm’s severity.

If you find missing or broken pieces of asphalt, this could also indicate that there has been some kind of impact from a hailstorm. Look for pieces that have come off completely and those that are just cracked or chipped away at one corner or edge—both types could be evidence of hail damage to your roof’s shingles.

It is also important to check if granules have been knocked off your asphalt shingles during a hailstorm. These granules help protect against UV rays and water infiltration, so losing them means less protection for your home’s exterior walls and foundation below them. 

In addition, if not addressed properly soon enough after they occur due to weather conditions worsening over time with no repairs being done between storms, this can lead to further problems.

It is imperative to carefully inspect your shingles for evidence of hail damage, yet if you’re uncertain, it’s best to consult a roofing contractor for an expert opinion. 

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Hail Damage?

Yes, homeowners insurance does cover a hail damage roof. If you believe your home has roof damage from a hailstorm, the first step is to contact your insurance company and file a claim. Depending on the age of your roof, they may cover the full cost of replacement or just repair costs.

What To Look For

When looking for hail damage to your roof, there are several areas to check: shingles, flashing around vents and chimneys, gutters, and downspouts. 

Hailstones can cause dents in metal surfaces, such as gutters and vents, and crack asphalt shingles or even break them off completely. So it’s essential to look closely at these areas for signs of damage before filing an insurance claim.

How To File a Claim

Once you have identified any potential roof damage from hail, it’s time to file a homeowners insurance claim. 

Be sure to provide photos or videos of the affected area(s) along with detailed descriptions so that an insurance adjuster can properly assess the situation and determine if repairs are necessary or if a full replacement is warranted due to age-related wear-and-tear issues. 

Your insurer will then send out an adjuster who will inspect the property and make recommendations regarding what needs to be done for coverage under their policy terms and conditions.

Call a Professional

The wisest decision is to contact an expert for hail damage on your roof. Roof X has been in business for over 20 years and offers comprehensive services for assessing and repairing roof damage caused by hail. 

At Roof X, our experts are trained in detecting all types of weather-related damages, including those caused by windstorms, heavy rains, snowfall, ice buildup, and more. So they’ll know exactly what needs repair after their inspection is complete.

So make sure to call a professional before significant damage is done. Contact Roof X today if you suspect that there might be some hidden issues lurking beneath the surface. With expertise in both diagnosing current problems and preventing future ones, this could end up being one phone call that saves you thousands down the road.