Of all the things that can damage a roof, hail can be the worst.
Depending on the extent of the damage and how widespread it is, hail damage roofing repair can be quite costly, too.
If your roof has been affected by hail, it is essential to have a roof repair company look at it before assuming everything is fine.
Even what seems like minor damage from the surface can be hiding bigger issues that will cause more extensive damage over time and costlier repairs.
Understanding Hail Damage
Hail damage can be sneaky, which makes it so important to have a roofing repair service check your roof after a hail storm.
Though dents and dings are easy to see on metal roofs as are broken or chipped shingles and tiles on ceramic and slate roofs, this is not always the case with dimensional or asphalt roofs that are more common across the country.
When architectural or dimensional shingles are hit by hail, a number of things might happen, some of which require roofing repair.
- There might be no damage at all if it was lighter hail.
- Hail could dent the shingles or remove some of the protective granular coating on the top of them which might seem minor yet still demands an inspection by a roof repair company.
- Larger hail can actually crack or break shingles.
- Although least noticeable by the naked eye but highly damaging overall, shingles impacted by hail can flex and crack on the underside, allowing water to get in over time so that everything under the shingles slowly rots away.
How Much Will Repairs Cost?
The cost of hail damage roof repair services will vary greatly depending on the:
- Type of roof being repaired.
- Extent of the damage.
- What type of repair needs to be made.
Regardless of the type, a few chipped, cracked, or broken shingles can be easily repaired for a relatively low cost in comparison to repairing more extensive damage.
According to roofers, metal roofs may not need any repair at all if you can deal with the dents and dings or depending on how much of the roof is damaged, the other option is to replace each affected panel with the cost related to the damage.
Asphalt shingles present a different hail damage repair problem as they may look fine on the outside but have considerable damage underneath.
If there is widespread loss of the top granular coating or many dented or cracked shingles, the wise solution is to replace the whole roof.
Additionally, if your shingle roof is already older or in bad shape, roofers advise that the likelihood is high of more extensive damage that needs a total replacement.
Minimize Damage with A Prompt Roof Inspection
When a possibility of hail damage exists, it is critical to have your roof inspected quickly by a roofing company to detect hidden hail damage that requires repair.
The less obvious damage like dents and cracks or even broken adhesive seals are what can cause even more harm over time than the hail itself.
Having roofers tend to any problems sooner rather than later will prevent widespread water damage like rot that can destroy an entire roof from beneath the seemingly fine shingles.
Therefore, the true cost of repairing hail damage depends on finding all damaged roofing materials to prevent additional deterioration from happening.
Also note that how much your homeowner's insurance will pay to repair this damage depends on your policy; however, the longer you wait to look for potential problems, the greater the chance your claim could be viewed as neglect and denied.
Reduce Cost By Getting Hail Damage Repaired Fast
Hail can produce different degrees of damage to a roof depending on the roofing materials, hail size and severity of impact, age and condition of the roof, and many other variables.
Though some damage is more obvious, much of the hail damage that requires roofer repair is invisible to the untrained eye.
Your best chance to keep repair costs lower is to schedule an inspection with a roof repair service right after a hail storm and take it from there.
Prevent the additional damage that can come from unseen leaks to keep repair costs as reasonable as possible!