How to tell if you have hail damage on roof
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Obvious Signs
- Insurance Coverage Policy for Hail Damage
- The Less Visible Damage
- HD Roofing and Repairs Has the Solution
Introduction
First and foremost, we wanted to make a recommendation before we get to the portion of this article that tells you how to identify hail damage yourself. If it is possible, you should always hire a local, experienced, and reputable roofing company to inspect your roof. Roofing companies that are experienced will be able to identify damage that might otherwise be overlooked.
Hail damage, like hail itself, comes in many different shapes and sizes. Hail damage can be really easy to spot in some instances. That being said, there are times when damage from hail will only be evident months or even years after the actual hail made contact with your roof. This article will help you understand the types of hail damage and the “impact” of each type.
The Obvious Signs
There are times when the hail damage to a roof is pretty obvious. It might sound odd to say, but if you have obvious damage to your roof from a hail storm, this is a roof in Austin that is obviously damaged by hail. you are lucky. The fact is that, when damage to a roof is obvious due to hail, it’s easier for the roofing company to provide documentation to the insurance company proving that hail has damaged the roof. Insurance companies have strict requirements that must be met in order for them to cover the cost of a roof replacement. Not all homeowner’s insurance policies will cover hail damage. In fact, many homeowners insurance companies are trying to limit their liability when it comes to replacing roofs with hail/storm damage.
Insurance Coverage Policy for Hail Damage
If your insurance company does cover damage, they will most likely want to see 8 or more hail marks within a 10-foot by 10-foot square on multiple sides of your roof. In other words, just a few hail damage marks on your roof will likely not allow you to qualify for a roof replacement.
The amount of damage to your roof from hail depends largely upon the roof type and or quality of your shingles. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect hail over 1-1/4 inch to cause damage to your shingles. Visible damage will come in the form of dents and markings from the hail impacting your roof.
The Less Visible Damage
Even though hail causes damage to your shingles, it does not always mean the damage will be visible. That is when a lot of homeowners end up stuck in a tough situation. Asphalt shingles have what are called granules on them. Granules are small stones that have been crushed and then applied to an asphalt layer which is then attached to a fiberglass mat. Those are pretty much the core components of a roofing shingle. Not all granules are firmly attached to the asphalt layer. Some granules are merely wedged between other granules that are indeed attached to the asphalt layer. Therefore, a shingle can and will naturally lose granules over the years. There are also a number of different catalysts can cause your shingles to lose granules. Rain, animals, human contact, and improper roof ventilation just to name a few.
When a piece of hail hits a shingle, the granules may not be removed from the shingle right away. There are times when the impact of the hail merely dislodges the granules, and the granules will simply sit on top of the shingle until the granules are washed away from the area of impact. Proving that hail was the cause of damage is an extremely difficult of not impossible task if the shingles on a roof have significant granules loss. Insurance companies will not even cover claims of hail damage if the granule loss on your shingles is too significant. Basically, older shingles equals fewer granules, which in turn will make it harder to identify. Ultimately the harder it is to identify the damage, the less likely your insurance company will cover the damage.
HD Roofing and Repairs Has the Solution
If your roof has significant enough granule loss to where your insurance company will not cover the cost, it is probably time for a new roof regardless of whether or not you have hail damage. HD Roofing and Repairs now offers to finance so you can pay small monthly payments for a new roof. We will continue to update this article to provide more information about the impact of the damage that hail has on roofs. If you are in Austin or any surrounding areas and need a roof inspection, roof repair, roof replacement or just have a simple question about your roof, we will be happy to answer any questions you have. Thank you for visiting HD Roofing and Repairs blog.
Speak with an Austin roofing expert at (512) 458-6800.