Hail Damage to Roof Systems
Hail Damage to Roof Systems
Hail storms can cause significant damage to all types of roofing systems, including asphalt shingles. Hail damage to roofs can be identified by discovering distress marks on the surface of the roof. In the case of asphalt shingles, the fiberglass mat may be fractured from the impact of the hail or there may be significant granule loss. When granules are displaced from hail, the underlying portion of the asphalt shingle is exposed to the elements and the life of the shingle is reduced.
This photograph shows hail damage to a dimensional shingle after a recent storm in Northern Kentucky.
Hail damage to an asphalt shingle roof is easy to discover on light colored shingles. The lighter granules contrast with the interior of the shingle, which is black. When dark shingles or shingles that contain black granules are impacted from hail, the damage is more difficult to detect. These shingle colors include brown, gray and black. (There is not a single photo of a black roof with hail damage depicted on Google Images.) Insurance adjusters and inexperienced roofing professionals are sometimes unable to detect hail damage on dark roofs. Deer Park Roofing, Inc. recommends looking for other indicators of hail besides damage to shingles. These include most soft metals such as gutters, downspouts, roof vents, aluminum trim, a/c condenser fins, and window screens.
Hail damage is much easier to detect on soft metals than it is on black or gray shingles.
Hailstones begin to cause damage to roofs when they are 3/4 of an inch or greater in diameter. Deteriorated or older shingles will sustain greater damage from hail impacts than newer shingles. Newer shingles lay flat against the roof deck and are able to deflect impacts better than older shingles that are less dense. According to the National Weather Service, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area is exposed to 3/4 inch (or greater) hailstorms 1-2 times every ten years.
The long term effects of hail damage on shingles are easy to detect. The asphalt mat will turn weathered gray from UV degradation. The shingles will also begin to curl upward at the impact location. Hail damage can also be caused to roof systems such as wood shakes, modified roofs, standing seam metal, tpo, pvc, and tile roofs. Hail can also damage gutters and downspouts.
The Deer Park Roofing staff is trained to determine if hail damage is present on your roof system. Please click here for a free roof estimate. Our staff will help with the insurance claim process if hail damage is present.
