What You Need to Know About Hail Damage to Your Roof

Every year, storm and hail damage cause immense amounts of damage to personal property in West Palm Beach, including roofs and vehicles. Several factors determine the amount of hail damage to your roof, including weather-related and roof-related variables. Here, we’ll review each of those factors so that you can determine if you need an inspection by Di Pasqua Construction Inc.

Factors That Contribute To Hail Damage

Believe it or not, the mere presence of hail doesn't mean it will cause damage. The risk of hail damage to your roof includes additional factors, too. We'll start with the most obvious first and go on from there.

• Hail Size and Density. Hailstone volume, size, and density all play a role in the likelihood and extent of hail damage. It's possible you may experience no damage at all to your property, even with a significant amount of volume if the hailstone size and density are small. Clearly, pallet-sized hail generally carries less risk than baseball-sized hail. At the same time, smaller but more dense hail could be more damaging than larger, less dense hail.
• Wind and Impact. Storms that produce hail are severe in nature. As a result, windspeed often contributes to damage in a couple of ways. First, wind can contribute to hail's force of impact on your property. Second, changes in wind direction and speed sometimes create dangerous situations. Finally, the rate of speed combined with the size of hail can combine to maximize property damage.
• Protective Obstructions. Protective obstructions may be natural or manmade, intentional or unintentional, and include things like fences, tree cover, and nearby structures. These obstructions sometimes act as barriers between your property and hail.
• Roof Materials and Age. The type of shingles you have plays a role in the risk of hail damage to your roof. Different shingle materials absorb impact differently. Your roof's age generally relates to its condition and this is also a factor in your risk of hail damage. More on that next.

Hail Impact on Shingle Types

Hail damage to your roof occurs no matter your type of shingle. Successfully identifying damage, however, requires an understanding of what to look for. Hail damage varies depending on the shingle material. It's important to identify whether you have roof damage and to determine whether it is from hail or another cause. Wood shingles may show random damage without a pattern due to hail. It may also show impact marks and shingle splits. Hail damage to asphalt shingles also doesn't usually have a discernable pattern. It does, however, often produce black marks in the color, which may appear shiny and be soft to the touch. Lastly, tile shingles are great due to their wind resistance. On the other hand, they are somewhat susceptible to hail, which causes tile breakage and exposure to moisture. 

Get an Inspection and Call Your Insurance Agent

If you believe your home has sustained damage from hail, let your insurance agent know. Then, call Di Pasqua at (561) 275-2406 to schedule an inspection or request an online quote. Our inspectors are certified and licensed in the state of Florida and familiar with all types of roofs.

Photo credit: Ameer Basheer via Unsplash.com