Some signs of hail damage, like dents in a car or broken windows are obvious. But it is not just your vehicle and windows that are at risk for damage during a hail storm. Your roof is also at risk. There are factors that influence how severe the damage is, as well. For example, wind speed and direction makes a difference in the location of hail hits and the severity of the damage. Size and density of the hail are also determining factors. Hail can fall in a wide range of sizes, from tiny spheres to chunks as large as your fist or even larger. Also, most hail does not have smooth edges, and this affects the type of damage caused. The denser and bigger, the more damage it can do. The type of material your roof is made out of and the age of that material can also have an impact on the type of damage that occurs during a hail storm.
How can you tell if your roof has sustained hail damage? There are several ways. If your roof is made with asphalt or composite shingles, the damage will be random, with no real pattern that you can see. You may also see black spots, exposed roof felt, or mat that looks shiny. On these types of roofs, the hail hit spots will be soft to the touch, much like the way bruised fruit feels. If you have wooden shingles, there will be no discernable pattern here either. Your shingles may display brown or orange cracks where hail has hit. These cracks also have sharp corners and edges. A crack in a wooden shingle that has little to no deterioration around the edges is also a sign of hail damage. Or, there may be impact marks around the cracks.
Fractured fiberglass mat usually takes a trained eye to detect, but it can cause tears or cracks that go away from the point of impact. If the hail storm is accompanied by high winds, it can weaken the integrity of your shingle seals. This leads to shingles being blown away in the wind, leaving your roof exposed. Another way to tell if your roof has been damaged by hail is to look for dents in the gutters and downspouts. The dents don’t have to be big. To fully gauge the extent of roof damage caused by hail, it is often best to hire a professional to conduct an assessment for you.
Once a shingle is damaged, the integrity of it is forever lessened. In many cases, damage to your roof leads to leaks and also begets further damage to shingles around the targeted one. But damage to a roof’s shingles can be fixed. It could be as easy as replacing one shingle or as huge as replacing the entire roof, but it can be done. You may want to have an inspection done to determine if there is enough damage to file an insurance claim. Contact an experienced Boise roofing contractor to schedule an inspection. They can help you determine if your damage was caused by hail and assist you in getting a claim started with your insurance company.