What Impacts the Extent of Hail Damage on Your Residential Roof?
Posted on: 23 March 2017
Is your residential roof susceptible to hail damage? If it is, what are the factors that influence the extent of damage caused to your roof during hail storms? Hail damage is measured in terms of the magnitude of damage, ranging from granule loss, edge removal, and cracking or breaking of the roofing material, and so on. One type of hail damage may not necessarily call for a complete replacement of the roof, so it is a good idea to call in an expert roofer to come and inspect your roof beforehand.
Here is a run-through of some typical factors that impact the extent of roof damage caused by hail stones.
Size of the hail stones
Hail stones fall from the skies in varying sizes. There are those that are as small as a marble and those that are as massive as a golf ball. The size of each hail stone influences the force with which a roof gets hit. Naturally, bigger stones will cause more damage compared to smaller ones. It is always a good idea to call in a professional roofer to inspect your roof after your area has been hit by massive hail storm.
Type of roofing material
Different materials offer different levels of impact resistance, as they are not the same in terms of robustness. For example, a metal roof will offer much better resistance to hail damage as compared to an asphalt roof, thanks to the superior reserve of strength. If you live in an area that is prone to hail storms, it is a clever move to choose roofing materials that can withstand the constant battering by hail stones. Otherwise, you may end up spending lots of money on frequent repairs.
Direction and speed of the wind
During hail storms, the wind can blow hail stones in your direction, causing extensive damage to your roof; or, it can blow hail stones away from your property, saving your roof from a severe beating. Also, high wind speeds can cause more harm to your roof than low wind speeds. So sometimes the wind is in your favour, and sometimes it's not. Yes, sometimes nature just takes its course.
Barriers
The position of your house relative to that of adjacent structures and natural features, like trees, can minimise the ability of hail to damage your roof. If hail stones stumble upon these barriers, they won't make it to your roof, thus preventing potential hail damage.
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