Weather can play a huge part in the lifespan of your roof. Huge storms and damaging winds can lead to roof damage for older roofs but sometimes weather events can damage roofing even if it’s newer. Hail stones impacting the roof on your home can lead to roof leaks and damages. Knowing what you should look for when this happens and whether you need to call a professional roofing company in Downriver Michigan can help prevent much of the damage to your home as possible.

What You Should Do If You Have Hail Damage in Downriver Michigan

Hail causes damages to hundreds of homes every year, usually amounting to billions of dollars. This also partly accounts for a huge chunk of insurance claims every year. The effect of hail storms can be devastating to not just your roof, but to just about anything outside the home – and sometimes, inside the house. Hails vary in size, ranging from pebble-sized pieces of ice to basketball-sized ice stones. The large ones can cause obvious damages such as damaged shingles, leaking roofs, and broken windows. The smaller ones, however, cause little unnoticed damages, which if not discovered early, may as well build up into significant damages on the roof.

In this article, you`ll discover some tell-tale signs to look for to detect hail damages on your roof and how to get quality help if you suspect there’s a need for repairs to be carried out. While chipped surfaces and dents are pretty easy to identify, it is the small unnoticed hail damages that you should make a serious effort to address. And unless you are very experienced in how to handle hail damages on roofs, you will require a trained eye to be able to do a thorough and professional inspection of your roof.

Identifying Hail Damages On Roof

Aside from the type of roofing material used to make a roof, the impact of a hailstorm on your roof can also vary depending on some other factors. For instance, the nature of the impact on your roof depends on whether the hailstones have smooth or jagged edges, just as much as it depends on their sizes. Also, the intensity or severity of the impact may depend on the direction and speed of the wind during the hailstorm.

The positioning of natural barriers such as trees, fences, and adjacent structures is another factor that can impact the degree of hail roof damage. But, beyond knowing the situations that impact the degree of hail damage on a roof, it’s more important to be acquainted with the signs one ought to look for when assessing hail damage on a roof. Although not exhaustive, the following are some signs, which when detected could mean a replacement or repair needs to be done up top.

#1 Damaged Gutter

While this is not always the case, you can be sure that your roof has been impacted significantly when you have a damaged gutter. A quick inspection of the rooftop will help in determining the extent of the damage.

#2 Damaged Window Sills/Casings And Sidings

If hail hits and you suspect any damages, a very quick way to tell if there’s damage on the roof is broken window sills and sidings, broken metal eave trims, etc. In most cases, if there’s significant damage up top, these things will also be impacted.

#3 Look For Damage To Other Outdoor Items

Hail impact will usually not spare household items and structures that are outside the house. Your air conditioner, car, shed, or porch could be hit too. And a glance at these items will give you a clue to what might have happened to your roof.

Addressing Hail Damages On Roof

So you`ve suspected that the last hailstorm left possible damages on your roof and you do not want to take the risk of having a damaged or leaking roof? Here’s what you need to do.

#1 Call A Trusted Roofing Professional

Unless you`re equipped with the necessary know-how and safety gear to mount your roof, you`re better off getting help from a trained professional such as Downriver Roofers. One, it takes a trained eye to do a professional roof inspection. And secondly, you can better file a winning insurance claim if you enlist the help of someone who is trained for the job. Remember that your insurance company will look for reasons to cut down or reject your claim.

Meanwhile, you need to be wary of unsolicited hail-repair visits from vendors. You`re most likely not going to be able to hold them to any charge if something goes wrong later. Reputable roofing contractors will give you a free inspection and estimate without coming to knock on your door.

#2 Prep Your Home For The Next Hailstorm

With some professional assistance, you can get a better idea on how to prepare your home to avoid possible damages when the next hail hits.