How Can You Tell If Your Roof Has Hail Damage? Look for These Signs
Hail damage is a common cause for roof repairs and replacements here in Minneapolis. While Minnesota isn’t thought of as one of the most hail-prone regions, we do experience a significant number of hail events in a typical storm season. This hail damage can create major roof problems, especially if left unaddressed. Because of that, it’s essential that homeowners know how to tell if your roof has hail damage.
At Wright at Home Roofing & Exteriors, storm damage repair is an essential part of our service offerings. Repairing storm damage promptly can help you avoid insurance issues and prevent damage from progressing into a major problem, such as a leak.
If you’ve been hit by a recent hail storm, here’s how you can determine whether your roof has hail damage.
Look for Dents and Dark Spots
The classic signs of roof hail damage, including dents and dark spots on your roof are a clear indicator that your roof has been damaged by hail. If you can see visible dark spots in a random pattern from the ground, this is a clear sign that you should call a roofer immediately. In some extreme cases, you may even notice cracked or broken shingles or roof tiles.
Hail impacts may be clear and obvious, but they may also be subtle. If the hail was smaller, it may take a closer inspection to determine if your roof was damaged.
Check Weather Reports
Not all hail will damage a roof. Another way to tell if your roof has hail damage is to check weather reports for any information about the size and density of hail in your area and for reports on damage to nearby homes.
For example, hail that is smaller (such as pea-sized hail) is unlikely to damage your roof. Hail that reaches at least an inch in diameter, however, can certainly cause damage.
That said, there is a great deal of variation in what size hail will or will not cause damage. Smaller but denser hail can do more damage than larger hail with a lower density; similarly, smaller hail accompanied by strong winds can impact your roof with more velocity.
Despite this uncertainty, weather reports can be a good source of information on potential hail damage.
Inspect Your Home’s Exterior
While we don’t recommend inspecting your roof up close yourself—leave that to the professionals—you can look over other portions of your home’s exterior. For example, if your siding has signs of damage from hail, there’s a good chance your roof was affected as well.
Check areas of your home such as siding, exterior decks, gutters, and downspouts, as damage to these areas can also indicate damage to your roof.
Look for Asphalt Granules
Storm damage can also affect your roof in more subtle ways. For example, hail impacts can remove the protective granules from the exterior of an asphalt shingle roof. This sign of hail damage can be difficult to spot, but you can look for other signs of this phenomenon.
After a storm, check near downspouts and around the edge of your roofline for piles of asphalt granules. While some granule loss is expected over time, if you see a significant amount this is a clear indicator that your roof has storm damage.
Book an Inspection from Wright at Home
While hail damage can be clear and obvious in some cases, it’s often more difficult to spot than you might think. What’s more, if hail damage is left unrepaired, it can leave your roof vulnerable to further damage, leaks, and other roofing issues.
The best method for how to tell if your roof has hail damage is to book an inspection with the professional roofers at Wright at Home Roofing & Exteriors. As expert Minneapolis roofers, our team has years of experience identifying and diagnosing hail and other storm damage. We’ll be able to safely and reliably identify hail damage to your roof and determine whether your roof will need a repair or replacement.
What’s more, our inspections are no obligation! Schedule your free inspection today!
