Hail Damage: How It Affects Homes

With spring and summer come hailstorms that have the potential to cause substantial damage to homes. However, not every one of them is created equal. Some drop chunks of ice the size of softballs, wreaking havoc on anything exposed to the elements. Others produce only tiny hailstones enough to create a pitter-patter on roofs.

Given how varied hailstorms can be, it can be hard to tell how strong this weather occurrence is or was from indoors. As such, you must understand what exactly hail damage is and how it can affect your roof, siding and other parts of your home.

Factors Contributing to Hail Damage

To give you an idea of how much damage a hailstorm can inflict on your home, you must take note of a few things early on in the process. In addition to the size, the density of the hailstones is also seen as an indicator of the destructive power of a hailstorm. This can be estimated from the color – cloudy hailstones are full of air molecules while clearer ones are more solid and compact.

Other factors also play a role in how much hail damage your roof, siding and other exterior components of your home can reasonably sustain. These include the age and slope of your roof and the materials that comprise the siding panels and window frames.

Identifying Hail Damage

The sheer impact of a hailstorm in itself is the trouble. Once the storm has passed, you might come across signs of damage like minor scratches, dents, cracks and holes in your roof and siding. Window cracks and shattered glass may also be apparent upon immediate inspection.

However, when assessing hail damage to your home, it makes more sense to just leave up-close inspections to the professionals. After all, it is not advisable to climb up the roof, especially if you are not experienced. Counting on the expertise of the experts allows you to learn about the extent of the hail damage, which is proven vital should you decide to file an insurance claim.

Turn to Krech Exteriors for your exterior home improvement needs. Call (651) 688-6368, or fill out our contact form to request a free estimate. We serve residents of Minneapolis and the surrounding communities.