How to Spot Hail Damage to Your Asphalt Roof

Did you know that hail can travel as fast as 90 mph? This can cause damage to roof, gutters, siding and more. Without proper repair, your home could suffer even more damage after the hailstorm.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• ladder

1. Most homes in the U.S. have a roof made of asphalt shingles. If you have asphalt shingles, you can inspect your roof visually for damage. You'll need to get as close to the roof as safely possible as the damage can often be hard to see from the ground.

2. 

   After you get close enough to your roof to inspect the shingles, look for hail marks. On asphalt shingles these look like dimples or dark spots where the hail has hit on the shingle. You may even see parts of the shingle edges that have been knocked off. Note any areas where you see the asphalt underlayment exposed. This is the liner between your shingles and the roof boards. Fresh damage from hail often has a shiny appearance because the asphalt granules have not had time to weather and dull.

3. 

   If you think your roof has hail damage, call your insurance company and ask for an adjuster to come inspect your roof. The inspector will measure your roof and count the number of hits/damage per square foot. Most insurance companies will have the roof replaced if there are 10 or more hits in a 100 sq. ft. area.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't wait too long to call your insurance company. Some companies have time limits for reporting the damage.
• Always secure two or three estimates from contractors for report
• Try to use one contractor for all hail damage repairs. It's cheaper and easier to repair or replace roofing, guttering and siding all at once.
• Never pay more than 20% upfront for repairs