How Does Hail Damage Affect Your Roofing?

Hail damage can have a big impact on your roofing. It’s important to know what to look for and to be familiar with your homeowner’s policy so you’ll know what your insurance will cover.  

Hidden Dangers

Hail damage can be tricky because there aren’t always visible signs of it. Your roof could look perfectly fine but have underlying damage that could prematurely age your roof. Unfortunately, there is no way to know this until months or even years down the road.

Warning Signs

Any time the Columbus, Ohio area experiences a hailstorm, it’s important to check out your roof afterward. Usually hail damage can be recognized by a random pattern of dents or cracks on the surface of the shingles. If no indentations are readily apparent on the shingles, check out the metal components of your roof like vent pipes, flashing and chimney caps. If you don’t notice any damage to the metal, then it’s likely that you’re in the clear.

Common Types of Damage

• Cracks on the surface of the shingles, which spread out from the point of impact.
• Exposed areas of fiberglass mat, where the granule-asphalt surfacing has broken away.
• Fractures in the fiberglass mat which may or may not be noticeable. This could show as the shingles age in the form of rips and cracks.
• Granule loss. This exposes the asphalt coating to the weather and could shorten the life of your shingles.  It often accompanies surface indentations and depressions caused by impact.

Replace or Repair?

When hail damage is extensive, there’s a good possibility that the shingles surrounding those with visible damage were damaged as well. While a roof repair replaces individual shingles or certain roof planes that have been compromised, problems may arise in the future from latent hail damage. For this reason, a complete roofing replacement is advisable to ensure good long-term roof performance.

If your roof has suffered damage from a recent Central Ohio hailstorm, call in the experts at Muth & Company Roofing for an honest, straightforward assessment of the condition of your roof. A quick call to (614) 882-0900 is all it takes, so give us a ring today!