When it comes to roofing, hail damage is an unfortunate and often hard-to-detect issue. Here’s
how to identify hail damage on your roof
so that you can respond to the dents, bumps, and bruises accordingly.
Scan Your Surroundings
Not all hail is large or powerful enough to harm your roofing significantly. Examining the extent of damage to your surroundings and, if possible, the size of the fallen hail can help you determine whether to check your roof.
If there’s evident damage to plants and objects, or if the hail is larger than the size of a quarter, you’ll want to consider checking your roof.
Examine the Gutters and Metal
It’s not quite time to break out your trusty ladder. Check out your roof’s gutters, metal vents, valleys, or flashings from ground level. Dents and dings on these metal surfaces will alert you to further potential damage and are a dead giveaway of the hail’s size.
Clogged or overflowing gutters are another good sign of roof damage. They can fill up with broken shards of shingles and other miscellaneous debris.
Another way
to identify hail damage on your roof
is to check your home’s exterior. Siding, patios, and decks can be convenient and low-level signifiers of roof damage. If you notice damage to these areas, your roof’s shingles are likely compromised.
Check the Top of Your Roof
If you can pinpoint noticeable damage to the exterior of your home from ground level, it’s time to get a closer look. Climb to the top of your roof, or, if you’re unable, hire someone to do so for you.
Once there, check the ridge cap for dents. This is the area of your roof that’s most susceptible to damage. The shingles are the next step—are they dented or chipped?
Identify the Type of Damage
The next and final step is to identify the type of damage that has occurred. Three of the most common types of hail damage include bruising, cracking, and missing granules.
Bruising
Intense bruising is visible with a simple scan, but lighter bruising requires a bit more work to locate. Run your fingers over the shingles, feeling for dents or dips in their surface.
Cracking
Cracks are apparent and easy to find. Hail that’s large enough can cause circular cracks in addition to the common, straight-lined types.
Missing Granules
If areas of the roof have missing chunks or exposed black substrate, it’s missing granules. They’ve been compromised, loosened, or completely knocked off.
Are you in search of reliable hail damage roofing contractors
in the Twin Cities Metro area? Viking Contractors can restore your roof to its original glory. Contact us today for a free inspection and quote!
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