As a homeowner, the last thing you may want to hear is the sound of hail. While you may be safe and sound inside your home, your Summerville roofing system may be taking quite a hit. Unfortunately, the impact of pieces of hail hitting your asphalt shingles could result in extensive damage. However, if you learn how to identify the damage, you can be confident in pursuing coverage from your insurance policy and have an idea on the type of repairs that will be needed.
There are three main characteristics to hail damage on shingles: bruising, missing granules and cracking. Bruising is a term that refers to small dents and dimples that are made when the hail hits the shingle. These are not always visible, but the damage can be found by running your hand along the shingle surface. Missing granules, which are actually what causes your shingles to be waterproof, may indicate that something struck your roof. Finally, if the hail was large enough, the impact could actually result in circular cracks on the body of your shingle.
In soft metal components, hail damage will appear in the form of dents. This includes the gutter, the downspout and the vent. If these are damaged, your roof most likely sustained damage.