Hail Damage to Asphalt Roofs

Size of Hail

• The correlation between the damage of an asphalt roof and the size of hail makes sense. Asphalt is a heavy-duty roofing that is designed to withstand ice and wind, but not necessarily large chunks of ice flying toward it at top speed. According to the Nebraska Department of Insurance, roofs that show no previous damage are likely to withstand hail damage only if the hail stones measure 1-1/4 inch or larger. Asphalt shingles that already show signs of wear may become damaged from stones in the 3/4- to 1-inch range.

Identifying Damage

• Hail damage is a direct hit and causes bruising, just like a person sustains a bruise. Bruising on a roof is indicated as marks of discoloration on the shingle. Granules may be worn away. The biggest key, however, to identifying hail damage to asphalt, is to study the pattern. Hail damage does not have a predictable pattern because the pattern of the hail fall itself is random. Bruising on the roof that follows a pattern both in location and size of the damage, may not be caused by hail, but might be hammer marks instead.

Susceptible Types of Roofs

• The slope of the roof can play a role in how much hail damage the asphalt receives. The May-June 2009 issue of "Interface" studied hail damage and the amount of bruising on different shapes of roofs. Asphalt roofs that were on either extreme of the scale, both shallow and steep, showed more bruising due to hail, than roofs of moderate slope. The direction of the hail and the intensity of wind can also play a role in the amount of bruising sustained during a hail storm.

Repair

• Asphalt roofing that is damaged by hail must be repaired to prevent future complications, such as leaking and caving in your home. Depending on the extent of damage, you may need just a few shingles replaced or an entire new roof installed on your home.