Hail Damage to your roof  can compromise the rest of your home. If you have had hail damage to your roof and would like All Pro Roofing to come to your home for a free inspection please contact us.

Alberto Guerrero

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When a roof is leaking it does not necessarily mean that it should be replaced.  Leaks commonly occur around flashings, vent pipes, heat stacks, chimneys, skylights, etc. and not the shingles themselves.  Once the shingles fail (wear out) it is time to replace the roof.  Until then repairs can usually be made to the area where the leak is occurring.

There are several factors that will prematurely shorten the life of a roof. The most common are:

Improper installation

Inadequate or insufficient ventilation

Hail damage

Wind damage

To check for shingle failure without getting on the roof look for the amount of granules that come off after a rain.  Does the ground or the bottom of gutter downspouts have roof granules piling up?  It is normal for some granules to come off of the shingles over the years, but if you see what seems to be an excessive amount you should have the roof inspected by a professional.

For the most part, hail damage cannot be seen from the ground.  Climbing on the roof is necessary in order to get a close up, perpendicular view.  Wind damage can be seen for the ground if the shingles have blown off, although wind may cause the shingles to become unsealed.  In this case the roof will eventually leak although from the ground it will look normal.  If you suspect hail or wind damage you should have a professional inspection.

In the late 1990’s Texas developed a rating system to determine a roofing products resistance to impact (hail).  The purpose was to determine how well a roofing material would stand up during a hail storm.  Products that were submitted by their manufacturer for testing were given a Class rating of from 1 to 4 (4 being the best).  The Underwriter’s Laboratory number is “UL 2218.”  Roofing products that receive a Class 4 rating are named or promoted by their manufacturer as “Impact Resistant.”

Hail stones from a thunderstorm come in a variety of sizes, shapes and densities.  As a general rule the hail stone must be the size of a golf ball or larger to damage a roof, although many “impact resistant” shingles will not be damages from such a storm.  Composition shingles with a modified asphalt (SBS) base can usually survive a hail storm that has hail stones up to the size of a goose egg.

Most metal roofs, by the very nature of the product will not be functionally damaged by up to baseball size hail.  Although these metal roofs will still keep the rain out they will usually be damaged in appearance.  On the other hand golf ball size hail and even larger sometimes makes only small dents to these metal roofs.

“Impact Resistant Shingles” installed on a roof in Texas will allow you a discount on your homeowners insurance policy premium.  It is a state mandated discount that all insurance carriers must offer.  Depending on the cost of a policy and the discount offered by the insurance company the discount could range from $100.00 a year to several hundred dollars or more per year.  Currently State Farm seems to offer the largest discount (up to 27%) for impact resistant shingles.

Replacing a roof on even the smallest of homes will usually cost $3500. or more.  The price will go up depending on the size of the roof, how steep it is and if it is one or two story.  Shingle types range from the most basic 20 year shingle to ones that carry a life time warranty.  Aluminum, stone coated steel, concrete tile, cedar shakes and slate are also products used on roofs.  These choices could cost $20,000. or more depending on the size and shape of the house.

If the roof is being replace as a result of hail or wind damage your insurance carrier will usually provide you with an estimated cost of replacing your roof.  This can be used as a guild for current market pricing.

If, as a homeowner you are paying for the costs of the new roof you should get an estimate from 3 roofing contractors and make a comparison.  This will allow you to find a roofing contractor you feel comfortable with as well as compare pricing.

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