The size of hail varies widely from a marble to one that is larger than a basketball. The largest to date was found in Nebraska on June 22, 2003. It measures seven inches in diameter. Before this, the largest that measures 5.7 inches in diameter was recovered way back in 1970 in Kansas. Obviously, you can expect bigger damage when the hail is larger. The strength of impact is a major factor.
Hail storms are a big problem in the United States. Aside from roofing damage, they can also ruin crops, dent cars and injure people. The highest cost of damage due to a hail storm in the United States was dated July 11, 1990. It happened in Denver and the damage to properties cost $625 million.
It is hard to measure how much roofing damage a hail storm could do. Generally, when hail falls on a roof, it can damage the granular surface loosening it and making it susceptible to future damages such as leaks. It can result in decreasing the roof’s life span but leaks in the roof do not typically occur immediately. The damage that a hail storm has caused may not be seen afterwards either but you will realize that there is a damage if your roof needs to be replaced sooner than it should have been.
You can tell that there’s roofing damage if there are dents on the roof from where the hail impacted and spots where the granulation was removed in such a way that the asphalt is exposed. If you think that the hail storm damaged your roof, call a professional and have it inspected. If the roof is proven to be damaged by a hail storm, you can file a claim with your insurance company. Whether or not the replacement is covered will be determined by your policy. However, keep in mind that filing a claim may cause the premium to increase and most insurance companies do increase rates after damaging weather incidents like hail storms.
Additionally, you should be careful in choosing a roofing contractor. You may find contractors who go on every house in an area that was affected by a hail storm offering free roof inspections. Do not hire a roofer unless you are certain about his credibility and experience. Hail storms attract a type of roofer known as a stormer. A stormer is someone that comes in from out of town just because they know a major hail storm just came through the area. They’ll help repair your roof but won’t stick around to back the warranty. It is also not recommended that you pay a contractor before a service is provided. Reserve the payments until the work is complete and the cleanup is done.