Superior Roofing

Hail may not cause as much visible damage as storms, but they can cause serious damage nevertheless — the kind that shouldn’t be ignored. In today’s post, local roofing company Superior Roofing takes a look at how hail causes damage to a roof.

Types of Hailstones

Hailstones are hard pellets of ice that hit the roof at high speeds. There are three types of hailstones:

• Soft hail, which are small pellets no more than a fifth of an inch in diameter and are formed from small cloud droplets.

• Small hail, which are formed from raindrops and soft hail encased in solid ice.

• True hailstones, which are hard pellets that are larger than a fifth of an inch, typically irregularly-shaped and are made of opaque ice.

How Does Hail Cause Damage?

Of the three types described above, true hailstones are the ones that can inflict roofing damage, and, unlike storms, it takes some time before the damage becomes noticeable. Here’s an overview of the timeline:

• Right after a hailstorm, the roofing surface would have some noticeable dents. On asphalt shingle roofs, granules would be knocked loose and end up in the gutters, leaving the underlying layer of asphalt open to the elements.

• Over the following weeks, the exposed asphalt would be gradually damaged by UV radiation, making the shingles brittle. Thermal expansion and contraction may introduce stress to the shingles.

• Exposure to seasonal changes in the following months would result in cracking, making the shingles vulnerable to getting torn off by high-speed winds.

• Lacking maintenance and repair over the years, a hail-damaged roof would be so damaged that leaks become inevitable.

How To Mitigate Hail Damage

Fortunately, hail damage can be mitigated with. Investing in impact-resistant roofing is a good place to start if your roof is up for replacement, as most roofing manufacturers offer roofing systems with high impact ratings. Placing natural and man-made barriers like trees and fences can help reduce the amount of hailstones that would otherwise hit your roof.

Timely action is likewise important. The timeline described above illustrates what could happen to an unrepaired hail-damaged roof — that is, the sooner inspections and repairs are done, the lower the risk of long-term damage. This, and the fact that it’s required by insurance companies, underlines the importance of having your roof inspected after every storm.

If you’re dealing with a hail-damaged roof, we at Superior Roofing can help. Give us a call at (334) 298-5253, or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation. We serve communities in Phenix City, AL.