It takes a trained eye to spot hail damage to roof shingles. As you can see on the first image below, the surface granules have been knocked off of the shingle very clearly. The rest of the pictures make it much harder to notice that the shingle has sustained hail damage. What’s the big deal if a few granules come loose??
How can you tell if your roof has hail damage?
If you have an asphalt shingle roof, you may notice the following signs of damage after a hailstorm: Small divots. Round black areas, bruises, and/or Loss of protective granules, which may collect in gutters and downspouts.
This of course begs the question “How to identify and deal with hail roof damage?”
Random damage with no discernable pattern. A split in the shingle that is brown/orange in color. A split in the shingle that has sharp corners and edges. A split in the shingle that has little to no deterioration at the edges. Impact marks or dents along the splits.
If you get quarter-sized hail or larger, there’s a better change you have damage and you should have your roof inspected by a professional roofing company right away. If you have new impact-resistant shingles, that chance goes down slightly, but you should still have your roof inspected. How does hail damage a roof?
Look also at any other exposed metal surfaces, like metal fascia on the roof eaves for signs of hail damage impact, even if it looks like a faint ding. THREE – look for damage to air conditioners or other outdoor items.
How can hail damage affect your roof?
Cracks on the surface of the shingles, which spread out from the point of impact. Exposed areas of fiberglass mat, where the granule-asphalt surfacing has broken away. Fractures in the fiberglass mat which may or may not be noticeable. This could show as the shingles age in the form of rips and cracks., and granule loss.
How much roof damage can hail actually cause?
On average, it takes a 1″ or above diameter hail stone to cause damage to common asphalt shingles. When referring to hail sizes, here are a few common objects to compare: Pea = 1/4-inch in diameter.
You could be thinking “How does hail damage a roof?”
My favorite answer is hail damage usually causes the following damage to your homes roof:
Missing Shingles: Look for gaps in the pattern or pieces of exposed roof. Damaged Shingles: Check for shingles on your roof that are curled, buckling, dented, or cracked. Build-up in gutters and downspouts that have collected loose asphalt granules. Flashing and downspouts that are dented, hanging, or missing.
One of the next things we wanted the answer to was: what is hail and how does it damage a roof?
One way to consider this is asphalt shingle roofs have a layer of granules on each shingle’s surface that protects it from UV rays, wind, and other elements. Cracked or exposed fiberglass mat, damage to the seal strip, and cracked or dented shingles too should be important too.
How do I know if my roof has been damaged?
Loss of granules, which may expose the roof felt. Asphalt and/or mat that appears shiny. Hail hits that are soft to the touch, like the bruise on an apple. Random damage with no discernable pattern. A split in the shingle that is brown/orange in color.