If you’ve had a horrible storm come through, you might wonder if you have any hail damage to your roof. While the most obvious way to tell is if you discover a leak inside of your home, that’s often the very last sign of hail damage.
To prevent getting to that point, you’ll need to visually inspect your roof, siding, and windows thoroughly after a storm. However, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you may overlook a lot of hail damage and assume your home is fine. Here are several ways you can identify hail damage.
Inspect Your Home as Soon as Possible
First, you want to be sure you have a Twin Cities siding and roofing company come out and examine your roof as soon as you can. Some hail damage can become hard to notice as the seasons change and your home’s exterior becomes covered with dust and debris.
It is also important to arrange for storm damage repair before you experience any leaks. If you need help filing an insurance claim, our storm damage specialists can help you work with your insurance company.
Start Looking on the Ground
If you want to tell if your home is damaged, start by examining the ground. Most people would never think to look down for signs of roof and siding damage, but you may often find pieces of singles, parts of your gutter, and other debris that’s fallen off your home.
The biggest indicator of damage to asphalt shingles will be mineral granules that have come off of the shingles’ surface. These granules are essential to waterproofing your roof and protecting it from UV rays. They also prevent shingles from cracking over time.
If you have tile shingles, you may find entire shingles or cracked portions of shingles on the ground or in your gutters.
Look for Cracks and Holes on the Roof/Siding
If your asphalt or composition shingles have taken hail damage, you’ll often see what looks like small, black circles on the shingles. This is where the granules came off and fell to the ground. If you climb up on your roof and feel these circles, they will be soft and a little squishy. For wooden or clay shingles, you may see places where the shingle has split or cracked.
When it comes to siding, take a look closely and see if there are any gaps at the seams (if you have vinyl) or chips off of the wood.
Get a Free Estimate
It’s not always easy to tell if you have hail or storm damage, so if you aren’t sure, make sure you contact an exterior company right away. At Schmidt Roofing, we offer free estimates on any damage, all the time. Contact us today to set up an appointment.
