Documented by the NOAA Severe Weather Database, in 2020, the United States
experienced 4,611 large hail storms. Every year, multiple hail storms cause billions of dollars of property damage. Many of these storms included baseball-sized hail or bigger. However, even much smaller sized hail can and do cause a lot roof hail damage.
INTERESTING FACT: Georgia’s peak severe thunderstorm season is March, April and May. A secondary peak may occur during the months of September and October, but not always. Severe thunderstorms can, and do, occur at anytime of the day or night as well as any month of the year.
INTERESTING FACT: According the National Weather Service, the typical size of hail in Georgia is approximately one to two inches in diameter.
With numbers like that, Prodigy Roofing wants Georgia homeowners to understand how important it is to get your roof inspected after severe weather episodes like hail and strong winds come through their neighborhood.
Out of sight out of mind. Because homeowners cannot see their roof tops from the ground, they might not be aware of hail damage on their roofs. It is important to contact a reputable local roofing company, like Prodigy Roofing to do a complete and thorough inspection of your roof after severe thunderstorms have occurred. And the sooner the better.
Here are some questions homeowners might have after a hail storm.
• What are some signs that hail damage has occurred?
• What are some of the signs of hail damage on a roof?
• What does hail damage look like on shingles? • What size hail causes roof damage?
As always... practice safety first. Prodigy Roofing does not recommend homeowners getting on a ladder and checking for hail damage on their roof. Please find a good roofing company like Prodigy Roofing that will offer a free inspection.
Currently, Prodigy Roofing is offering a FREE Drone Inspection that you can keep! A great bonus to have a bird’s eye view of your home!
Hail 101| What is Hail and How Does it Form?
According to NASA: Hail forms when thunderstorm updrafts are strong eno
ugh to carry water droplets well above the freezing level. This freezing process forms a hailstone, which can grow as additional water freezes onto it. Eventually, the hailstone becomes too heavy for the updrafts to support it and it falls to the ground.
According to NSSL The National Severe Storms Laboratory: Hail is a form of precipitation consisting of solid ice that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts. Hail can damage aircraft, homes and cars, and can be deadly to livestock and people.
In the strongest supercells that produce some of the largest hail one might expect to see (2- inches to 4-inches in diameter), the expected fall speed is between 44 and 72 mph. However, it is possible for very large hailstones (diameters exceeding 4-inches) to fall at over 100 mph.
INTERESTING FACT: The largest hailstone recovered in the United States fell in
Vivian, South Dakota, on June 23, 2010, with a diameter of 8 inches and a circumference of 18.62 inches. It weighed 1 lb 15 oz.
Estimating Hail Size
Hail size is often estimated by comparing it to a known object. Most hailstorms are made up of a mix of different sizes, and only the very largest hail stones pose serious risk to people caught in the open. When reporting hail, estimates comparing the hail to a known object with definite size are good, but measurements using a ruler, calipers, or a tape measure are best.
What size hail causes roof damage? On average, it takes a 1′′ or above diameter hail stone to cause damage to common asphalt shingles. Of course, the age and condition of the roof should be taken into account. If the roof was already damaged or compromised, then pea-sized hail might cause further damage or leaking.
• Pea = 1/4 inch diameter • Mothball = 1/2 inch diameter • Penny = 3/4 inch diameter • Nickel = 7/8 inch • Quarter = 1 inch — hail quarter size or larger is considered severe
• Ping-Pong Ball = 1 1/2 inch
• Golf Ball = 1 3/4 inches
• Tennis Ball = 2 1/2 inches
• Baseball = 2 3/4 inches
• Tea cup = 3 inches
• Softball = 4 inches
• Grapefruit = 4 1/2 inches
INTERESTING FACT: Baseball size hail stones fall at nearly 100 miles per hour.
Tell-Tale Signs Of Hail Damage on a Roof Although you cannot fully determine the amount of hail damage on a roof from the ground, there are some signs that a homeowner can point out and determine if there may be more damage up top. The presence of one or more of these may indicate a situation
where the homeowner needs a full roof replacement instead of a simple roof repair. Here are a few things to look for.
1 – look for dented gutters, gutter screens, or downspouts
This is not always the case, but many times, if a roof has significant hail damage up top, the gutters will have some impact damage.
2 – look for damage to siding and windowsills/casings
You can also check the home’s siding and windowsills/casings for dents, dings or other signs of impact. These are places where, if there’s significant damage to the roof, there will most likely be damage to these things as well. Look also at any other exposed metal surfaces, like metal fascia on the roof eaves for signs of hail damage impact, even if it looks like a faint ding.
3 – look for damage to air conditioners or other outdoor items It’s important to check every area of the home for hail damage. We’ve done the roof, gutters and siding, but there’s another area to check... the air conditioner. In addition to offering a quick glance sign of further hail damage on the roof, a damaged air conditioner may qualify for insurance replacement. Also, be sure you make note of everything that was damaged on your property. This could be a shed, patio cover, porch, decking, anything that the insurance may cover. 4 – look for damage to decks or painted wood surfaces Decks and other painted surfaces surrounding the home m
ay have sustained hail damage. If you see chipped paint, it may be the result of hail impact.
If you suspect hail damage on your roof, it is time schedule a FREE Inspection with Prodigy Roofing. Now offering a FREE Drone Inspection that homeowners get to keep!
What Prodigy Roofing Looks for: Hail Damage To Roof Vents And Shingles
Once a Prodigy Roofing representative is on your roof, there’s going to be a few things they will be looking for. Vents, chimneys, sky lights, other features and shingles are on our inspection list. Hail damage often accompanies wind damage to roofing systems, so you’ll want to look for both. They will check out all the roof vents and features to look for any damage looking for dents, dings, chipped surfaces, etc.
For the harder to see impact areas like the chimney covers, Prodigy Roofing with chalk sideways over the surface and it will uncover the hail impact points. For the softer metal vents, the damage will be much more obvious.
The last, but most important thing to check is the shingles. Hail damage to roof shingles are what buys the roof. You’ll never get a solid insurance claim without shingle damage.
What does hail damage look like on shingles?
Hail damage to roof shingles can be very obvious or very difficult to uncover. It takes a trained eye to spot hail damage to roof shingles. If the shingles surface granules have been knocked off of the shingle it is clear that hail damage has occurred. You may be surprised at the force it takes knock the surface materials off of a shingle. When this is discovered, the integrity of the shingle has been compromised, and a water leak can develop over time.
Even the smallest hail impact on a shingle can lead to a roof leak. Hail damage to asphalt shingles may consist of punctures, tears, fractures (bruises) or the more common displacement of granules. Displacement of granules occurs when granules have been knocked off by the impact of hail stones hitting the roof. The loss of protective granules exposes underlying asphalt to damaging sun rays. When asphalt is directly exposed to the sun, without a protective layer of granules, the
shingle becomes vulnerable to UV light degradation. Which can accelerate cracking, blistering, algae formation, edge damage, and water leaks.
Most insurance companies want to see 8+ hits on the roof within a 10ft x 10ft square on at least 3 sides of the roof. Prodigy Roofing will take pictures of the hail hits to show the homeowner whenever inspecting a roof. These pictures are also shared with the insurance adjuster whenever they come out for their inspection of the roof.
Metal, Wooden Shake, Clay, Slate Roof Hail Damage
Shingles can be tricky when it comes to spotting hail damage, but they’re not the only type of roof out there. You have others like wooden shake, clay, slate and metal roofing.
Wood shingles will split right down the middle after being struck by hail. Clay & slate roofing will have cracks and/or gouges, and metal roofing will have impact dents like we saw on the gutters at the beginning. Metal roofing is one of the easiest to spot for hail damage.
Do you think you have hail damage? If you’re a homeowner and think you may have hail damage, the first thing you should do is call Prodigy Roofing for a free roof inspection. If Prodigy Roofing finds that you have hail damage, your next step would be to file an insurance claim with your homeowners
insurance company.
Homeowners: It’s very important that you have Prodigy Roofing come out and inspect the roof with your insurance adjuster. You have to remember the insurance company is looking for reasons NOT to replace your roof. That’s why it’s important to make sure your contractor inspects the roof with the adjuster. We can take care of all the details. Prodigy Roofing. Roofing Done Right. Call for a FREE Drone Inspection and receive a bird’s eye view of your home! Find out if you need a roof replacement due to hail damage and leave all the details to Prodigy Roofing. 470-496-2913. www.GeorgiaRoofs.com.