Anyone from East Texas will tell you that while the area enjoys plenty of sunny days, this beautiful part of the country also gets some serious weather. High winds, hail, and even tornadoes cause damage to homes throughout the region.
Hail damage impacts everything from cars to siding to decks, but it’s our roofs that take the real beating.
Steele Roofing, an experienced East Texas roofing company serving Lindale, Longview, Tyler and the surrounding East Texas area, knows a thing or two about hail damage to roofs.
Our roofing company offers emergency roof tarping, emergency roof repair, storm restoration services, storm damage roof inspection, hail damage inspection, etc.
This means we’ve about seen it all when it comes to roofs that need repairing after a storm.
How Does Hail Damage Occur?
As anyone who’s experienced it knows, hail isn’t a one size fits all equation. It comes in different shapes and sizes. Wind speed and direction impact how hard it hits and where. Even the density of the hail makes a difference when it comes to damage.
When it comes to your roof, there are many factors that also influence how much damage occurs. The type of roofing materials, their age, as well as their condition, impact how the roof weathers the storm.
With asphalt shingles, hail and hard rain can strip the granules from the shingles and expose the felt.
Granules coming off your roof are noticeable on the ground after a storm. If you’re seeing a lot, it could mean you have exposed sections of shingle, which leads them to age much more quickly.
An important thing to remember is that a damaged shingle can no longer function properly and is a weak spot on your roof that could, and most likely will, lead to more expensive issues in the long term.
What are the Types of Roof Damage?
For insurance purposes, hail damage falls into two classifications: cosmetic and functional.
While cosmetic damage isn’t great, it generally means you won’t need repairs.
If your roof is deemed to have functional damage, it means the structure and “functionality” of your roof have been compromised and need to be repaired.
How Do I Know if My Roof Has Hail Damage?
There are ways to determine if your roof has hail damage without getting off the ground. However, it is highly recommended that after any serious hail storm, you call your local roofing company for an inspection. Getting on your roof after a storm can be dangerous for numerous reasons, and leaving it to the professionals is a much safer option. However, there are ways to spot damage right away.
From The Ground Personal Inspection:
- If you see damage from hail on other areas of your property, your roof may also be damaged.
- Is the roof of your car dented? That might mean the roof of your house has been impacted as well.
- Do you have metal gutters and/or downspouts? Dents or cracks in them can mean your roof has similar harm.
- Hail can cause a lot of issues with vinyl siding. If you see dings in the siding of your home, you should have your roof inspected.
- If you have a deck/porch, this is an area that, if damaged, is also a sign.
- If, from the ground, you can see darker dots or spots that appear “bruised,” that means your shingles have hail damage.
- Hail and high winds can knock off tree branches, which may cause destruction to your shingles and roof. If you see branches on your roof, it’s a good idea to call a roofing company for an inspection.
What Happens If Hail Damage Doesn’t Get Fixed Right Away?
Hail damage to your roof that doesn’t get addressed right away might cause much more serious and expensive problems as time passes.
You might end up needing sections of new roof shingles or even a roof replacement. If it’s not fixed promptly, you might have water damage from leaks, unsightly stains on your ceiling and/or walls, potentially dangerous mold/mildew growing, or rot that can cause serious and expensive harm to both your roof and even your floor.
Hail also degrades the roof’s structural integrity, leading to it needing to be replaced sooner.
What About Insurance for Hail Damage?
If you’re planning on making an insurance claim, you’ll need to call both your local roofer, and your insurance company to perform an inspection. It’s important to remember that if you want insurance to cover your roof repairs, no work can be done prior to the insurance agent’s assessment.
Hailstones vary in size from something as small as a pea to as large as a baseball. Bigger hail is going to cause more serious damage to your roof. But don’t discount the fact that any size of hail might have caused harm to your shingles.
It’s always good to be on the safe side and contact your local roofing specialist for an inspection.
