Does Your Roof Have Hail or Wind Damage?
August 30, 2021
Hurricane season can bring lots of weather like rain, hail, and high winds. Fast Track Roofing breaks down what you need to know when looking for hail and wind damage on your property’s roof. Give FT Roofing a call if you’re in need of a roof replacement after weather damage or if have any questions about possible damage after a storm. Fast Track Roofing has served over 1,500+ Houston homeowners and is here for you!
What Does Hail Damage Do to a Roof?
The effects of hail roof damage can differ according to a range of factors: hail size, wind speed, wind direction, the material of the roof, age of materials and slope all have an effect on the possible roof damage that occurs during a hail storm. Hail damage is bad for a roof when it leads to roof leaks and other issues.
Damage can be functional or cosmetic, and it’s the cosmetic damage that is sometimes more severe than it looks.
Specific types of damage
Granule loss
Granules are the sandpaper-like part of the shingle. When a shingle loses granules, its asphalt coating is exposed to the elements, and this leads to accelerated aging.
Cracks in the shingles
Hard hail impacts or high winds can grip the shingles and cause cracks. This can lead to exposure and tears, leaving your roof with bare spots.
Exposed fiberglass mat
Hail impact on a roof can shatter the shingles’ surfacing, causing it to break away from the fiberglass mat underneath.
Fractured fiberglass mat
Fractured fiberglass can be slightly harder to detect and usually requires a trained eye. Fractured fiberglass mats can result in tears and cracks from a point of hail impact.
Weakened self-seal strip
High winds and hail can weaken the seal integrity of your shingles. A weakened seal is what causes a shingle to blow off and can leave your roof exposed to the elements. Once a shingle is damaged, its integrity has been permanently compromised. This can lead to leaks, and it can cause other shingles around it to tear.
Once you know about these common forms of hail roof damage, you can start to look for signs of damage on your property after a hailstorm.
Can 1 inch hail cause damage to a roof?
Yes! In fact, even hail smaller than 1 inch can cause damage to a roof or to other areas of your house. After a hailstorm, the size of the hail can be the easiest indicator as to what types of damage you may face. While not a foolproof method for predicting storm damage, understanding the various sizes of hail and how they affect your home is a great place to start.
Identifying Wind Damage to Your Roof
If you’ve recently experienced winds of 45 mph or higher, then you might need to take a look at your roof for some of the common signs of roof damage.Signs of wind damage on a roof include loose or missing shingles, chimney issues, curling or peeling shingles, granule loss, damaged soffit or fascia and indoor leaks. High winds can also cause tree branches to fall and damage a roof.
Spots of Granules Missing from your Shingles
Like hail, wind can cause loss of granules (the sandpaper-like part of the shingle).
Edge of Roof Curling from Peeling Shingles
The edges and other pressure points on the roof are most likely to sustain damage from wind. During our inspection we’ll look for curling shingles where the wind took hold and began to peel the shingles. Shingles keep out water, so if they’re loose it will lead to water damage and a quickly deteriorating roof.
Entire Shingles Missing from the Roof
One of the easiest ways to tell that you have a wind damaged roof is the loss of entire shingles. Strong winds can completely rip shingles off leaving your roof vulnerable.
Chimneys
Is your chimney looking a little crooked? This should tip you off to a problem. Sometimes we find missing spots of lashing, which breaks the sealing around the chimney and lets in water.
Leaks and indoor signs of roof damage
It might seem counterintuitive to go inside your home to look for roof damage, but the signs might be written on the walls. If you see discoloration, wet spots or peeling paint, there’s a good chance your roof is leaking.
So what wind speeds do you need to be worried about?
45 - 57 mph
According to the National Weather Service, slight damage can begin when winds reach 45 mph, but this range is considered “non-severe”. These non-severe winds may cause some tree branches to break off and can cause damage to already loose or susceptible shingles.
58 - 74 mph
This is when winds turn severe and cause significant damage to landscaping and structures. At this range, wind will take down whole tree limbs, begin to uproot trees, rip off shingles that were in good condition and cause issues with chimneys.
If it’s time for your Houston roof replacement, please contact us for a free quote today!
Call us today, your Houston Residential Roof Specialist at (346) 857-0466.