Wondering if your roof has been damaged by hail? Hail damage can be hard to spot if you don’t know what to look for, but identifying and addressing it is crucial to protecting your home and maintaining its value. That’s why we’ve provided this comprehensive guide to spotting signs of hail damage to your roof. Use this guide to check for clear signs, but keep in mind that a professional roof inspection is the best way to be sure of your roof’s condition. Many signs of hail damage and other wear require a trained eye to see.
Ground-Level Signs of Hail Damage
Before climbing up on your roof, you can check for signs of hail damage by walking around your property and checking for signs on the ground and on the side of your home. These signs may indicate additional damage on your roof. Here’s what to look for:
- Blown off shingles: Strong wind associated with hailstorms can loosen and blow shingles from your roof. If you see shingles or pieces of shingles lying on the ground near your home, your roof was likely damaged by a hailstorm.
- Dented gutters and downspouts: Hailstones will often leave small dents, dings, and dimples on metal gutters and downspouts.
- Damaged siding: Check your home’s siding for dents, cracks, paint chips, small holes, and spatter marks. Spatter marks are caused when hailstones clear away grime, dust, or oxidation, leaving a temporary change in color where the hailstone impacted.
Signs of Hail Damage on Your Roof
After checking for signs of hail damage at ground level, you can check for signs of hail damage on your roof itself. Always be sure to follow proper safety precautions while walking on your roof. Many homeowners prefer to schedule a professional roof inspection so that they don’t have to walk on their roof, and we do recommend this! But if you want to check for signs yourself, here’s what you can look for:
- Damaged roof vents: Protruding roof vents are usually made of soft, lightweight metal, and hail strikes will often cause dents and cracks.
- Dented roof flashing: Metal flashing around roof edges and fascia can also be easily dented by hail.
- Cracked skylights: If your roof has glass skylights, they may have been cracked or shattered by hail. You can also check for this from inside your home.
- Missing shingles: As mentioned above, strong winds from hailstorms can blow shingles off your roof. Check to see if any are missing.
- Loose shingles: Sometimes, hail strikes and wind gusts simply loosen shingles without blowing them off completely. Check to see if any shingles are easily pulled up or flapping in the wind.
- Dark spots on shingles: Hail strikes will usually displace shingle granules, exposing the dark surface underneath.
- Curled shingles: Hail-damaged shingles sometimes curl or buckle due to wear and stress, especially if your roof is older.
Schedule Your Free Roof Inspection
If you’ve noticed any of these signs of hail damage to your roof or siding or if you just want a professional opinion on your roof’s condition, schedule a free inspection with Armor Construction. Even if you think your roof is healthy, a professional inspection can teach you a lot about your roof’s condition, history, and potential for issues in the future. If we do find hail damage on your roof, we can advise you about making an insurance claim to get your roof repaired or replaced.
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