How Do I Know My Roof is Damaged after a Storm?

Although Austin hasn’t seen much hail or even thunderstorms yet this summer, it’s a good idea to find out if your roof is damaged especially after a storm. Your roof can be damaged by not just rain or hall but also high winds. We give you some tips for inspecting your roof after a storm to check for damage.

What to look for when assessing damage to your roof

Check your attic for leaks or water damage. If any water stains appear on your ceiling or walls, you’ll probably need help from an Austin roofing contractor like 21^st Century.
Go outside and look for signs of storm damage on the ground. Are there any wind damaged shingles that need repairing, missing shingles or metal pieces from your chimney? This search includes small pieces.
Analyze the condition of exhaust pipes, valleys, outer edges, or angles where the roof meets the walls.
Hail damage often is only on one side of the roof. It looks like a series of ‘bruises’ that appear in a pattern based on the direction of the wind. They are darker in color than shingles.
Lighter mars on the roof mean that algae or lichen have been knocked off. Usually, the shingles themselves are fine.
Check your gutter for signs of damage. Large dents or cracks can signify some serious damage.

The not-so-obvious signs of roof damage

Look out for shingle rash blistering, cracking, and granule loss. These can be difficult for the untrained eye to notice. Unfortunately, the older your roof, the more likely you are to have these problems.
Shingles have a sealing strip between them. With a storm, the wind could lift the shingle and break the strip. However, after the storm the shingle may go back to its normal position and you wouldn’t be able to tell if there was damage. You’d have to wait until your roof started leaking and then it could be too late to do just a repair. You may have to have the whole roof replaced.

What to do, what to do?

Well, you should consider hiring a professional roofing contractor so they can assess the damage. You should do this especially if you haven’t done it in about a year. As a rule, a good roofing contractor should come to your home at least once a year. You can also educate yourself about roof maintenance by reading sources like Inspectapedia. This way you’ll know what to expect from a roofing contractor.

If you do need your roof replaced, you should check into hail-damage-resistant shingles. They should be rated “Class 4.” Many home insurance companies will give you a discount premium when Class IV shingles are installed.

We suggest you call 21^st Century Painting & Roofing if you suspect hail or other storm damage to your roof. We’re qualified to assess and fix your roof. Give us a call at 512-219-0342 today!