There are many frightening types of weather that can occur depending on where you live, but one thing that can happen just about anywhere in the world is hail. Large chunks of ice falling from the sky can be pretty terrifying if you get caught outside, but it can still be worrisome for those safe at home. That’s because hail has the possibility of being very destructive to your property. If you’re unsure how to handle roof damage from hailstorms that recently came through your area, this guide will walk you through what you need to do to ensure the restoration of your home.
Know What Affects Hail Damage
Whether you’re dealing with the aftermath of a hailstorm or simply preparing for one before it shows up, it’s good to know what kinds of factors affect the amount of damage that might occur. These are the primary factors to be aware of to determine how bad the damage might be.
Hailstone Size
After the hailstorm is over, your first course of action should be to go outside and take a look at the hailstones littered across the ground. Often, they will be pretty small, but if the storm was extreme enough, they could be as large as softballs.
However, big doesn’t always mean bad. The density of a hailstone has a significant effect on the potential damage that it could cause. If you pick one up and it feels pretty light or even breaks apart in your hands, there’s a good chance that there won’t be any significant destruction.
Strength of Wind
Of course, other storm factors could affect how hard you got hit. The wind is the biggest one to be aware of. Since this isn’t something you can directly measure, you’ll have to check the weather reports. If the gusts were strong enough, even smaller hailstones could have caused some severe damage to your house.
Surroundings of Your Home
Another aspect to consider is the things that surround your house. Tall buildings and trees could potentially block or slow down the stones coming towards your house. Even during a devastating storm, these items could have saved your home from heavy amounts of damage.
Roof Materials
The final thing to consider would obviously be the materials that your roof. Both light metal and vinyl rooftops are prone to significant destruction compared to standard shingles. On the other hand, something like slate can stand up quite well to falling hailstones.
Search For Signs of Destruction
Now that you know the factors that affect hail damage, it’s time to start looking for signs of destruction. There are a few ways to check for this kind of damage, so we will go over how to do each one.
Do a General Walk-Around
Most of the time, you will be able to find signs of roof damage by performing a simple walk-around of your house. During this inspection, the main things you should look for are broken or missing shingles. These are clear signs that hail broke through the first layer of your roof and possibly did more damage underneath.
However, other things you can look for are broken pieces of siding and dented-up rain gutters. These parts of your home are easier to see from the ground and will better indicate how bad the damage to your roof could be.
Go in for a Closer Look
If you really want to know how bad the destruction is, you’ll need to go in for a closer look. A simple pair of binoculars could help you get a more detailed picture of the damage from the safety of the ground, but if you own a drone with a camera, that could be quite useful here. Whether it has a live feed that you can watch or a recording that you’ll have to take a look at afterward, this is a great way to get an up-close look at your roof.
While we don’t recommend it, the final option is to get a ladder and climb up to see the roof for yourself. Walking on a damaged roof can be very dangerous, though, so you should remain on your ladder while looking. You should leave a full-scale inspection that involves walking on top of your house to the professionals.
Check the Interior
The best way to see how badly your roof got damaged is to take a look at it from the inside. Do this by climbing into your attic and checking for leaks or holes that sunlight is coming through. If you find either of these, then a roof repair will be in order for you.
Call Your Home Insurance Provider
Once you have an idea of how bad the destruction of your roof is, it’s time to call your insurance provider. Be sure to give them a detailed report of what you’ve found to receive an estimate of how much of the property damage they’ll cover. It’s good to start with this before calling a professional roofing company so that you’ll have a better idea of what you can afford.
Have a Professional Inspect and Repair the Roof
Once you have that estimate, it’s time to call the pros. Too many people try to do roof restorations on their own, and this often leads to unnecessary injuries and unfinished repairs. It’s best to let the pros handle such a complex job. Plus, hiring a professional will help you rest easier knowing that your roof gets fixed the right way.
Whether you require a minor fix or a complete roof replacement, Pro-Home Services is here to help you get the roof repairs you require. We know exactly how to handle roof damage from hailstorms and provide in-depth inspections and full-service maintenance when needed. While we’re fixing your roof, we can offer our professional advice on improvements that you can make to improve its longevity. We can install stronger shingles and gutter guards to help you be more prepared for the inevitable next hailstorm.
Plus, we can help you with side projects such as skylight installation with reinforced glass or setting up some solar panels to help reduce your electricity bill. Regardless of the improvements you want to make for your roof, our team at Pro-Home Services will be there to assist you.
