It seems that every time we have a hail storm I get a flock of people calling to ask if they need to have their roof replaced. It’s almost as if hail had a magical property of destroying roofs or something. While that isn’t so, these people’s concern isn’t really misplaced; hail can do a number on roofs.
Obviously, if you’ve got water coming into your home, your roof is going to have to be replaced, your question is answered. But water can be coming into your home, without you even knowing it. So, let’s start there, checking for water leaks. Go up in your attic with a strong flashlight. What you want to look for is places where the underside of your roof sheathing is water-stained. That’s the first sign of a leak, one that shows up long before water starts coming through your ceilings.
If you don’t find any water stains on the roof sheathing, that’s a good sign. But, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have any roof damage. So, the next step is to climb up on the
roof itself.
There’s two things you need to look for on the roof; the first is missing or broken shingles. Unless you have something like a slate roof or armor plating, there’s the possibility of it being broken by hail. With asphalt or fiberglass shingles, look for pieces of shingles missing. With shake or clay tile roofing, look for broken shingles.
The other thing you want to look for is damage that didn’t cause a break. Many times, hail will cause dents in your roof. With metal roofs, this will look just like the dents on your car roof. With shingle roofs, the dents will compress the shingles; taking some of the gravel off of them.
If you find missing and broken shingles, you’ll want to have your roof replaced soon, before a leak can form. With other sorts of damage, like dents, you’ve got a little more time. But, that hail damage has shortened the life of your roof, meaning it really does need to be replaced.
Your homeowner’s insurance should pay for damage to your roof that is caused by hail or even high winds. However, they will not pay for replacing your roof if it is just old and worn out. Call your insurance company if you find hail damage, so that their adjuster can come out to review the damage.