Knowing whether or not your house has suffered hail damage is information you should have in a very timely manner. Being from the great state of Texas, one of the highest ranking states for hail damage insurance claims, we should be well versed in the roof repair process. Your roof endures a lot of wear and tear over time as it does its job of protecting you from all of the outside elements 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Left unrepaired, hail damage can weaken the integrity of your roof, opening your home up to bigger issues down the road. Here are a few ways to know if your house has withstood any hail damage.
Spotting Hail Damage Fast (The TL;DR)
Before calling your insurance, here are quick ways to check for hail damage:
- Check shingles for chips, bruises, soft spots, or missing pieces after a hailstorm, especially if your roof is old.
- Check gutters, storm drains, and siding for dents, chipped paint, or rippling. These signs may indicate hail damage.
- Look at the entire roof, not just one section, since hail can hit at angles and cause uneven damage.
- Hire a pro if you’re unsure about checking sloped or pitched roofs. This way, nothing gets overlooked.
- Act quickly after a storm, since insurance companies may deny claims if you wait too long to report hail damage.
This guide shows how to spot hail damage. It covers signs to watch for and explains why acting quickly is important for your home and insurance.
Look At Your Shingles
Examining the state of the shingles on your roof is a good place to start in assessing hail damage. Obviously, newer shingles will have a better chance to maintain form during a storm, but overtime, you see shingles begin to fade and chip with age. You especially need to pay attention to your roof after a storm if you already know that your shingles have some years on them. Evidence of hail damage will look like chips in the shingles, missing shingles completely, little dark spots from the impact of the hail, and bruises. Bruises are areas of the roof that feel soft when you apply pressure to them. This is indicating underlying issues beyond the shingles. If your roof has sections that have a little give to them, you should hire an inspector or professional roofer to come repair the issue.
Check Any Metal
Aside from you roof, there are a lot of other areas that can show damage from a hail storm. The storm drains on the side of your house are made from soft metal that will easily show impact from hail. Also, because of wind and the sideways slant of most falling hail, you can typically assess any damage your roof might have endured by examining the siding of your house. If there is any rippling, chipped paint, denting, or loosened pieces of siding, you can be confident that your roof took in some damage as well.
Examine the Whole Roof
It is not good enough to examine a part of your roof. You need to be aware of the angle at which the hail was coming down. Depending on any slopes or pitches in the design of your roof, some parts might have been more vulnerable to hail damage. If you feel uncomfortable getting on your sloped roof to examining those pitches, feel free to hire a professional to assess any potential damage.
Whatever you decide on how to assess the damage of your roof from a hail storm, it is important that you do so quickly after the storm that might have caused it. Aside from a damaged roof opening up potential for other issues, the statute of limitations for hail damage is probably shorter than you would expect. If you let too much time pass, your insurance company might have the ability to reject your claim, leaving you to cover the costs one hundred percent out of pocket. Before a storm hits your neighborhood, you should be aware of what your insurance company requires from you in order for you to properly file a claim to get your roof and home back in tip top shape.