As a homeowner, hail is a significant risk to the condition of your home’s roofing system. A hailstorm can wreak havoc on your roofing system, requiring prompt repairs to restore its durability. Your roof is your home’s protection against Mother Nature, so you need it to be in top condition at all times.
Look out for signs of roof hail damage after a hailstorm to determine whether or not you need roof repairs in Minneapolis. Here, we’ll cover the main signs of roof hail damage that your roofing experts will identify.
Shingle Damage
Damaged shingles are a prevalent sign of roof damage after a hailstorm. Regardless of the shingle material, hailstorms that hit your roof with a high degree of force can lead to punctures, dents, and/or cracks in your shingle roofing system.
Broken Shingles
Many different types of shingles may break off of your roof in a severe hailstorm. After this occurs, you may notice partial or full roof shingles on the ground around your home. Individual roof shingles can often be effectively replaced by your roofing experts. But, if many roof shingles are missing from the surface of your roof, a roof replacement could be in order.
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt shingles are a popular residential roofing material due to their affordability and versatility. However, after a hailstorm, you may notice that your asphalt shingles have sustained damage in the form of bruising. When hailstones bruise an asphalt shingle roof, it means that they leave behind an indentation. The shingles’ outer protective coating becomes compromised if bruising occurs, and you may notice asphalt granules accumulated in your gutters.
Slate Shingles
Slate shingles, on the other hand, may sustain holes in a hailstorm. Holes in slate shingle typically have clean edges and may reach the lower layers of your Minneapolis roofing system.
Gutter System Damage
Dents and marks on your gutter system indicate that your roofing system is also likely damaged. Your gutters are essential to your home’s drainage system. After any type of precipitation, you’ll need your gutters to function properly and direct water properly away from your roof. Notably, following a severe hailstorm, the damage to your gutters may require prompt repairs.
A major hailstorm may leave behind punctures in your gutter system. Punctures are a more concerning type of hail gutter damage than dents because they can cause leakage. When water drains through a punctured gutter system, the water will leak out instead of being effectively directed away from your home. This could lead to water damage to your home’s siding, or even the foundation.
It’s also important to note that hail damage to your gutters indicates likely hail damage to your roof. Your gutters are more easily accessible as a homeowner than your roof. So, after a hailstorm, one of your safest bets is to check the gutters for dents, dings, chipped paint, and/or punctures.
Gutter Repairs After a Hailstorm
While dented gutters may not seem like a pressing issue after a hailstorm, it’s wise for you to have them repaired along with your roofing system. Most homeowners insurance policies will cover the repairs for hail-damaged gutters, but you’ll need to file a claim soon after the storm to receive compensation. If you wait too long, the insurance company may argue that the damage became worse due to your own negligence, thus sabotaging the approval of your claim.
Window Damage
Your window sills, window panes, and window casings are at risk for damage in a hailstorm. Dents from the impact of hailstones may be visible on the exterior of your windows after a storm.
Minor dents and dings to your window sills, panes, and casings are mainly an aesthetic issue, although they indicate that roof hail damage has occured. But, hail can also break window seals and crack window panes. These types of hail damage to your windows will diminish the windows’ durability and could cause water damage within your home. So, if you notice signs of window damage after a hailstorm, be sure to have it checked out by a professional promptly. For your repair needs after a hailstorm, please contact Midwest Construction. We’ll help you restore the longevity of your home with reliable hail damage repairs.
