How Much Damage Can Hail Do To Your Roof?
Hail is an unavoidable fact of life. Unfortunately, for your roof, hail can also shorten the life span of your roof if something isn't done about it. The hail can cause dings and can also knock away granules.
How Hail Affects Your Roof
The problem with hail is not simply that it can penetrate your roof but also that the hailstones can create a series of divots across your roof. Hail causes your shingles to erode because water runs along the divots and this causes your roof to erode faster. Eventually, the shingles erode to such a point that water can penetrate the lower layers of your roof.
How to Identify Hail Damage
You might not notice that your roof has been damaged by hail right away because you won't experience the immediate effects of the damage. Your roof might not be leaking right away and you might not know that the roof was damaged during a hailstorm.
Spotting damage on your roof is always difficult because you often need to get up on your roof to perform an inspection and search for damage. However, you can start by inspecting other areas of your home.
The Rest of Your Home Might Be Damaged
If you have had a recent hailstorm, inspect mailboxes, gutters, siding, your car, and anything else that was exposed to the hailstorm for warning signs of hail. This can give you an idea of the severity of the hailstorm so you can then determine if your roof will need to be inspected.
Don't Get on Your Roof Yourself
You will not want to get up on the roof yourself because it can be very dangerous without the right equipment. Instead, get in contact with professional roofers.
Fortunately, if you have a homeowners' insurance provider, you should be able to file a claim and you will then be able to have your roof repaired at a very low cost. You will be reimbursed by your insurance provider and you will be allowed to choose which roofer will repair your roof.
The next steps will depend on the severity of your roof damage. For example, if your roof only has light damage, you may only need to have your shingles repaired. However, there are other cases where your roof will need a full replacement. Fortunately, this can be done for free when you act quickly, file a claim, and start working with a professional roofer immediately.
Contact a local residential roofing service to learn more.
