What to do When Hail Strikes
Did you know that, according to the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, there is
over $1.5 BILLION dollars of damage caused by hail each and every year?
To roofs.
In the United States alone.
Crazy, huh???
Sometimes the damage is pretty obvious, with ‘obvious’ meaning shredded shingles or holes in the roof. Many times, though, the damage is much more subtle.
Correction – the visual damage is much more subtle.
With all of that in mind, we thought now (before the spring and summer storms hit) would be a great time to review some of the finer points that come with hail strikes.
Let’s start with how your roof looks after a hailstorm.
Many people are of the assumption that if they can’t see any missing or damaged shingles then they managed to dodge a bullet and didn’t incur any damage. However, that’s not always the case. The first thing to note is that, unless there is a gaping hole in your roof, hail damage often isn’t visible – especially to the untrained eye. Missing shingles are typically due to high winds (that often occur with hail storms); shingles that have been cracked or shattered are one sign of hail damage, as are ‘bald spots’, which are what occur when hail hits the shingle(s) and knocks the asphalt granules off – many times homeowners will find these granules collecting in the gutters or coming out of the downspouts.
So, after the storm is over you’ll want to go outside and take a walk around your house. Look at the roof from all angles. Look for cracked and/or broken shingles, missing shingles, shingles that have curled, dark spots on the roof, and asphalt shingles that no longer look ‘gritty’ (signaling that some of the asphalt has been knocked off from the force of the hail striking the roof).
Please do NOT climb up on your roof – especially if the roof is still damp – the last thing we want is for you to slip off the wet roof and fall to the ground! Even if you’re not seeing any visible damage on the outside, you may very well be seeing damage inside. Sometimes wet spots on the ceiling – or even water dripping down walls – are people’s only signal that something may be wrong with their roof.
Roofs can be tricky business, which is where we come into play! Golden Rule Contractors located in Lincoln, Nebraska is your local roofing expert and is more than happy to help you with all your roofing needs – be they storm-related or otherwise!
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