Signs of Hail Damage You Should Look For On Your Roof

5 Signs Your Fort Worth, TX, Roof Has Suffered Hail Damage

Before Considering Roof Replacement, Know How To Spot Roofing Damage

After a hail storm rips through Fort Worth, TX, it’s critical to examine the exterior of your home and, especially, your roof to look for potential damage. Hail damage on your roof may be harder to spot as it might not be as obvious as downed tree limbs and other storm damage. It can be subtle and deceiving to the untrained eye.

However, even slight hail damage can cause problems that leave your roof vulnerable. If overlooked, it may even cause more damage, as minor damage can lead to more significant issues later. Water leaks from hail damage can cause structural damage to your home, wood rot, and other problems.

This is why it’s crucial to be informed on what to look for and where to find it when assessing roof hail damage. At First Texas Roofing, we want to stop roof damage in its tracks, ensuring our customers a smooth and stress-free repair or replacement process. So, here are five signs of hail damage on your roof.

1. Dark Spots Or Dents

When hail hits your shingles, it might create a dent that will appear as a dark or black circle. The size of the dark spot is dependent on the size of the hail that hit it. Dark spots are especially noticeable on asphalt or composite shingles, as they are more susceptible to storm damage than some other materials.

Dents can also be spotted on metal roofs and will appear as a random pattern, scattered over the whole roof, most likely. Dents on metal roofs are, fortunately, only cosmetic problems most of the time, but you should still repair them to ensure complete protection.

These impact marks may not seem like much and may be quite small in circumference and easy to miss, but they can create much more damage than what meets the eye. Dents will cause your shingles to malfunction, distribute water unevenly, and possibly cause leaks in your roof.

2. Granule Loss

Asphalt shingles need granules to work correctly. As the textured, rough bumps on the shingle’s outside, granules protect the rest of the shingle. Granules prolong the roof’s life by preventing the asphalt and fiberglass mat from being exposed to outside elements.

Hail can easily knock granules off your shingles upon impact, leaving the shingle vulnerable to water, sun, and other harmful outdoor conditions. Granule loss may be noticeable through dark spots, as well, or by smooth areas on your shingle.

Like with dark spots, it may be hard to spot granule loss initially, as it can happen in small doses. However, an exposed shingle is dangerous and leaves the protection of your roof and home compromised.

3. Broken Or Missing Shingles

The most obvious sign of hail damage is when shingles are noticeably broken or missing altogether. This type of damage can occur on asphalt, composite, slate, wood, or tile roofing, so it’s essential to look for these effects regardless of your roofing material.

Quality roofing materials are built to withstand extreme weather, but nothing is 100% guaranteed when it comes to hail damage. Depending on the size and velocity of the hail, any shingle can sustain noticeable damage or break off from the rest of the roof.

However, this damage may also be caused by normal wear and tear, so it’s best to hire a professional if you notice this type of damage happening in an unusual pattern throughout your roof.

4. Cracks

Though cracks from hail damage can undoubtedly occur on asphalt shingles, they may be more noticeable on slate or wooden roofs. Asphalt is more impact resistant to hard-hitting objects, and hail damage may form a bruise or soft spot rather than a crack.

Slate, tile, or wooden roofs are more susceptible to cracking from hail damage, which may appear as a split down the shingle. If the break is caused by hail, as opposed to normal wear and tear, it will appear clean-cut and create a sharp edge.

5. Dented Or Damaged Vent Coverings

One of the easiest ways to spot hail roofing damage is through roof vents. Roof vent coverings are typically made of thinner metal and more open to hail damage than your shingles. If you see dents or dings on your roof vent coverings, chances are you have further roofing hail damage.

In this case, it’s best to bring in a professional to assess the damage’s extent properly. Instead of getting on your roof and crawling on your hands and knees, looking for further hail damage, hiring a professional roofer will save you the agony and knee-aches of doing it yourself.

If You Suspect Hail Damage, Let The Fort Worth, TX, Roofing Pros Do The Rest

Though it’s important to identify any Fort Worth, TX, roofing issue before it grows larger, the main reason to differentiate between hail damage and normal wear and tear is due to your insurance. Home insurance companies often need proof of definite hail damage, as it is covered under most policies, whereas wear-and-tear is not.

At First Texas Roofing, we want to help our customers accurately spot, diagnose, and repair their hail damage. For over 15 years, we’ve been working with insurance companies to ensure our customers get the most out of their claims and receive the best roof replacement or repair possible!

Call us today at (817) 821-0323 or contact us to set up a free roofing estimate!