Severe Weather, what it Means for Your Roof

Living in the Midwest, severe weather is just a fact of life, and it is tough on your roof. We are in the heart of the severe weather season and you can expect at least a few large storms. As a homeowner it helps to be able to evaluate any damage that severe weather may cause. Wind and rain can be tough on your house, but hail is the real roof killer. Nothing shortens a roof’s life like a major hail storm. All hail is not created equal, and it varies in size, shape, density, and hardness. Hail can create a random pattern of dents and depressions of varying sizes, shapes and depths. This means that damage to your roof can be extremely obvious, broken and ripped shingles to holes in your roof, or it can be subtle, undetectable indentations or invisible granule damage. This means that small amounts of hail damage can harm the surfacing material, leading to deterioration of the shingles months later. Typically, if a shingles has outward damage, that means the underlying components are affected to some degree. When hail damages a roof, the impact may affect the embedment of the granular surfacing in the asphalt top coating. This loosens the granules, allowing the granules to separate from the coating layer and wash off the roof. Without the granular surfacing, the asphalt top layer is exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the ordinary sunlight and will deteriorate, exposing the fiberglass substrate and created the potential for a leak. In the case of sever hail damage, the fiberglass substrate may be physically broken which compromises the weather integrity of the shingle. A few things to look for after a hail storm are:

• Tears in the shingle
• Indentations in the shingle – these will either be round or half-moon shaped. In some cases, the damage may not be immediately visible and will require you to feel for any indentations.
• Excessive granule loss – check in your gutters and around your downspouts for loose granules.
• If you have any further questions regarding hail damage, contact your homeowner’s insurance company.

Call us for a FREE Hail Damage Assessment, and get and expert opinion right away!