How Hail Can Damage Your Roof – and Signs to Look For
How does hail damage your roof and what are the signs?
Another scorching hot summer in the Columbia / Lexington areas of South Carolina means another summer of severe, nasty storms that seem to pop up out of nowhere. This year was a little different, as we’ve already experienced several hail storms (along with the high winds, flooding and more).
If you’re a home owner, you’ve heard about hail possibly damaging your roof – But how? And if you do experience a hail storm, what are the visible signs that you should look for to know your home has been compromised?
And the most important question of course, how does this damage get paid for?
Let’s take everything one by one.
How does hail actually damage your asphalt shingle roof?
First of all, it depends on the size of the hail. Small dime-sized hail doesn’t typically do much damage, however, this doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Older roofs are in danger of the shingle granules dislodging from the impact, which weaken the shingle and can also clog your gutters. Not to mention high winds can also do their own amount of damage.
As the hail approaches quarter and half dollar size, it can continue to do more damage. In addition to the shingle granules, larger size hail can dent and crack shingles – even newer ones. Once this happens, the shingle becomes compromised and is no longer considered a safe covering for your home. Also larger size hail usually accompanies higher winds that can lift up and tear already compromised shingles.
So now that you know how the damage can occur, what do you look for after a storm?
- If possible, inspect size of the hail first and foremost. Smaller hail doesn’t necessarily mean you have no damage, it just lessens the chances.
- Look at other items on your roof besides the shingles. Metal/aluminum elements, or plastic chimney covers tend to show more obvious damage.
- Look for missing granules on shingles; check you gutters for loose granules. It may be difficult to spot missing granules on your shingles but not impossible. The granules will be slightly different colors underneath the top layer. But a sure way to tell if you had multiple shingles affected is to check your gutters – hail is almost always accompanied with heavy rain, so the loose granules will wash down to the gutters and collect.
- Always look for the obvious: splits, cracks, dents or missing shingles. This is especially important in older roofs, as even a small hail storm may give the final blow to struggling shingles already compromised. If you notice any of these, contact Clyde Nettles immediately for an in-person inspection.
- Last but not least, if your home does suffer hail damage, how will it get paid for?
This is where your home owners insurance policy usually comes into play. Depending on your policy, many companies will cover storm damage. We’ve been working with all the major insurance companies for over 72 years, and have a great reputation with them. Your first step should be to contact Clyde Nettles for an inspection; if we determine you have substantial hail damage, we can reach out to your insurance company and provide them with all the information they need to make a determination on your coverage. If your home doesn’t have sufficient coverage, Clyde Nettles is one of the only roofers in the state of South Carolina that offer up to 100% financing for a new roof!
If your home has recently experienced a bad storm, it never hurts to be “safe rather than sorry.” Contact Clyde Nettles and we’ll send someone out to take a look; most of the time your roof may be fine. But in the case that it’s not – we need to make repairs asap before a small issue becomes a major issue.
Your home is your most valuable investment. When it comes to protecting it with a solid roof, make sure you count on the only company in the state of South Carolina with a 72+ year reputation of quality work, fair prices and excellent customer service.
We perform a hands-on inspection of every roof (no drone videos), have more combined years of experience than any other roofer in the state, and we stand behind our work 100%.
Contact Clyde Nettles today for all your roofing needs!
