How To Fix Hail Damage On Your Roof

Although rare in our area, hailstorms are something that can be incredibly dangerous and costly to your home, your vehicles, and other items that may be in the way of a storm outside. Pittsburgh residents generally see fewer than six hail incidents a year, but if a storm hits, the damage can be extensive and costly.

Hail Facts

• The world record for the largest hailstone occurred in 2010 when a stone approximately eight inches in diameter
• Between 2008 and 2014 US insurers paid roughly $5.37 billion for auto insurance claims alone
• Hailstorms generally occur most frequently from the months of May to August
• In 2020 Texas had the most hail claims costing more than $3.1 billion

What Is Hail and Why Does It Happen?

Hail is a form of precipitation mad e up of solid chunks or balls of ice which form inside thunderstorm updrafts when there is an abundance of cold air. Rain drops within the cloud are carried upwards with updrafts and collect moisture as they flow through the cloud, and then fall to earth when the wait of the ice ball becomes too much for the cloud to support. In warmer weather, the hail will melt and dissolve in the air, but in the “perfect storm”, hail can fall to earth and sometimes wreak havoc.

What Does Hail Damage Look Like?

There are obvious signs of hail damage like dents in shingles or siding, but just because your roof doesn’t have large dents in the shingles doesn’t mean you won’t have hail damage. Your roof vents, gutters, roof flashing, and other roof penetrations are sure-fire signs that you should consider making some roof repairs. But how much damage necessitates a whole-roof replacement? A few dings or splatter marks are treatable in small, localized repair, but the only way to know for sure is to call and receive an estimate from a Gregor Roofing professional.

How Is Hail Damage Treated?

For minor to moderate cases, roof damage is handled with spot replacements (for shingled roofs). When a certified roofing professional has thoroughly examined your roof, they will mark each shingle that needs replaced and fit a matching piece in its spot. When damage is severe, sometimes there will need to be a whole-roof replacement, including gutters and other pieces of hardware. For roofs that are flat or sealed with rubber or tar, most of the time, the affected areas just get resealed and repaired in a much simpler method.

Failure to treat damages or ignoring damage altogether can lead to unforeseen in-house issues like roof leaks, problems with roof drainage, or overall loss of property value. Stay on top of hail damage roof repairs and be proactive in seeking out the proper help. Give us a call at (724) 969-4145 to get started with a job estimate.