Hail Damage 2021: What You Should Know.
After a punishing storm, many homeowners will have competing thoughts in their head about what to do first.
Many will lean toward calling their insurance agent to report the possibility of damage, but the right move is to call a roofer for a free inspection.
A professional will come to your property, inspect the entire roofing system for any damage and will help you decide whether or not you should open a claim. If your roofing inspector does find damage, your next move is to contact your insurance company.
*Side note: Make sure that your roofing contractor is there when the insurance adjuster does their inspection so they will be on the “same page” about everything.
Signs of hail damage on the roof
Small dents in your metal flashing, valleys and roof vents.
Look for missing pieces of asphalt or cracks on your shingles.
Not all dimples are easy to spot, so use your hand and feel your shingles for cracks and dimples.
Inspect the ridge cap for dents as this area often takes the brunt of the damage.
If you see black substrate in your shingles, that means the protective granules have been knocked off and the shingles need replaced.
**This Little Rock homeowner suffered major hail damage to nearly all of their exterior property. Oftentimes homeowners may not know what caused this type of damage when they see it. From the ground you may see damage to window frames and screens, the air conditioner, siding, furniture, and possibly the gutters. The project Manager conducted a roof inspection and found even more damage on the roof. Visible scarring on the shingles, badly damaged turbines and vents, and dented gutter screens were marked for this homeowner’s insurance company to review.
What you can’t see
Not all hail damage can be seen from the ground. Severe storms might leave obvious damage that is viewable from the ground, but light hail with high winds can create damage that is only visible from an inspection upon the roof.
So the big question… When do you call? Because there is a statute of limitation regarding when you can make a claim following a storm, it’s smart to get to the bottom of it now instead of waiting. The longer you wait the more susceptible your roof is to damage. Your homeowner’s insurance policy will rarely cover the replacement of rotten wood as it usually takes some time for rot to set in, so you may have unexpected out-of-pocket expenses during the installation of your new roof. After a storm that produces significant wind or hail, you may need a roof inspection from a trained professional. If there is visible damage from the ground then an inspection is imperative, as soon as possible.
**Once construction began, we removed a second layer of shingles to find that roof damage allowed water to absorb into the deck, allowing water to enter the home.