As winter approaches, many homeowners are concerned about snow. But hail damage to your roof can also cause heavy damage and require repair. Here’s how to avoid such damage before it happens.
Hail is something that can really cause damage to your roof. When the weather is particularly bad, it will send heavy hail onto your roof, which will lead to damage and repair bills. You can avoid this happening, however. Here’s what to do to stop that hail in its tracks.
How Does Hail Damage Your Roof?
The first thing to know is, how does hail cause damage to your roof? The odd hail shower won’t do much damage, but if it’s a particularly heavier shower then it can cause bruising to the shingles. This damages the integrity of the shingle, allowing water in and leading to water damage in your roof.
Because hail damages your shingles, it will also cause the granules to be disturbed and wash away over time. When they wash away, this exposes the asphalt underneath. This allows shingles to become damaged by the sun. You may see that they become cracked and warped, again allowing water into the roof.
Hail will often come with high winds, which can catch shingles from underneath. If the wind is strong enough, it will even rip the shingle right off the roof. If you see this has happened, you’ll need to replace the shingles right away.
How To Stop Hail Damage to Your Roof
If hail is heavy enough, then it will cause some damage no matter what you do. If you’re quick though, you can minimize the damage that it causes. Here’s what you can do.
A Note About Repairs
If you’re looking to stop hail damage, the best thing you can do is call in a roofer to come and help you. Even if you’re an expert at DIY, you may not be able to get the job done yourself. Plus, it’s often unsafe for you to be working on your roof.
A roofer will be able to get onto your roof and do the repairs needed to keep your roof safe. They’re also able to come and bring the proper safety equipment, so you’ll know the job is being done without risk to anyone.
If you’re thinking of guarding your roof against hail damage, it’s highly advised that you hire a roofer to help you out.
Before Hail Hits Your Home
If hail is on the horizon, you can take some steps to stop it damaging your home. Here’s what you can do.
1. Replace Any Missing Shingles
The first thing to do will be to check that there are no shingles missing from your roof. There could well be some missing or broken, and these need to be addressed before you do anything else.
If you’re able to plan ahead when replacing your roof, keep an extra box of shingles stored away. When you need to replace shingles, you’ll have shingles that match your current roof to hand.
2. Trim Trees and Plants Away from Your Home
If you have plants and trees near your roof, then you need to trim them away as soon as you can. You may not think that it’s a problem, but a heavy storm can lead to all sorts of problems.
- Firstly, when the branches are close enough to the roof, it will allow pests such as squirrels to make their way into your roof. That’s going to lead to extermination costs and repair bills if you don’t prevent it.
- As well as this, with hail storms you’ll get high winds. These often wreak havoc on trees, pulling at them and sometimes even breaking limbs off.
If those branches are already touching the roof, it’s in danger. The branches can be pulled across the roof, pulling off shingles. If a limb falls on the roof, it can cause damage that way. Cutting them back before a storm will prevent all kinds of damage.
4. Clear Out Your Gutters
Something else you need to be doing to keep your roof in good condition is clearing your gutters. In the colder months, debris, such as leaves, will end up in your gutters. If you’re not cleaning them out, then this is going to cause problems during a hail storm.
- Water will overflow from the gutters and onto the roof.
- If the hail has been washing away the granules, the water will start damaging the roof.
To clear out the gutters, all you have to do is get up on a ladder and start pulling the debris out of the gutters. If you want to stop it happening again, you can install a gutter guard for peace of mind.
After A Storm
Once the hail storm has passed, you’ll need to inspect your roof for hail damage. You’ll want to look for any bruising to your shingles, any cracking or missing shingles too. If you see any of this, these will need to be repaired as soon as possible.
Also, check there has been no damage from trees on your roof. You shouldn’t have this problem if you cut back your trees before a storm. If you didn’t, take a look and remove any leaves or branches from the roof. If they have done any damage, you’ll need to call in a roofer to handle that ASAP.
You’ll need to check that nothing has been pulled away or damaged by wind. That includes shingles, but also flashing or anything else on your roof. These will need to be repaired soon if they have been pulled loose.
Conclusion
If you do find any problems with your roof, the best thing to do will be to call in that roofer. They will handle the repairs for you, so you know that your roof is in safe hands.
Hail storms are capable of damaging your roof, so you need to be prepared if one is coming your way. Check your shingles, cut away your trees, and make sure you look at your roof after the storm has passed. If you follow these tips, your roof will be fine.
