What is hail and how is it formed

Hailstones are created by dropplets of water freezing in large clouds.  A frozen droplet begins to fall during a storm, but is pushed back up by a strong updraft of wind. The droplets freeze into  hailstones.For the hail to be  formed, these conditions must be in place:                            

 1.High super-cold water in the atmosphere

2.Hail embryos: small frozen raindrops or soft ice particles known as grauple, which are hardened conglomerates of snow crystals.

3. And  very strong updrafts

How hail damages roofs

  • Loss of granules

    Hail impacts the shingles and dislodges the protective granule surface of the shingle exposing the asphalt layer to U.V.Rays. This will lead to accelerated aging of the shingle

  • Bruising the shingle

    It may cause cracks in the shingle, which may radiate outward from points of impact allowing water to penetrate the roof.

  • Exposed matting

    Exposed fiberglass mat, where hail shattered the granule-asphalt surfacing causing it to break away from the fiberglass mat.

  • Fractured fiberglass mat

    This may or may not be immediately visible. A fractured mat may result in tears radiating out from the points of impact

OTHER FACTORS THAT COME IN TO PLAY

The size, density, free-fall velocity, the shape of the hail, its directionality, and angle of impact can all affect the damage you see to your home. Three of these properties -- size, density, and free-fall velocity -- affect what's referred to as the “impact energy” of hail. If the hail is wind driven it may determine what areas on your property receive damage. Generally it only takes 1 inch hail to damage a standard 3 tab shingle

What size hail will damage your roof ?

On average, it takes a 1″ or above diameter hail stone to cause damage to common asphalt shingles. When referring to hail sizes, here are a few common objects to compare:

  • Pea  = 1/4-inch in diameter
  • Marble = 1/2-inch in diameter
  • Dime or penny = 3/4-inch in diameter (hail the size of a penny or larger is considered severe)
  • Nickel = 7/8-inch
  • Quarter = 1 inch
  • Golf Ball = 1½  inches
  • Tennis Ball = 2½ inches
  • Baseball = 2¾ inches
  • Tea cup = 3 inches
  • Softball = 4 inches

Hail density and directionality

The severity of damage from the angle of impact should be consistent with other evidence of directionality that you see on various surfaces around the property.

Blown hail will also produce more collateral damage than hail falling closer to straight down.

Hail can hit all exposed surfaces, so evidence of the direction from which hail came should be apparent on a number of different types of surfaces, and not just on the roof. Evidence of hail damage may be visible on a number of items around the home. This is called collateral damage. Examining collateral damage may give you useful information.

Occasionally, hail will fall almost straight down, and, in these situations, damage on different slopes may be similar, and collateral damage may be limited.

Latent and severe damage

While “severe damage” refers to immediately observable dents, cracks, and fissures, “latent damage,” which references a loss of granules  or structural weakening of shingles, should  also be a concern. Be aware that shingles that are over the top of other shingles will be more severely damaged and that a more rigid underlayment helps to reduce the hails impact. Roofs with poor ventilation, low-quality shingles, and old, brittle shingles will be the most affected. If these are damaged , you should get them repaired right away. If the damage is ” latent “, or less severe ,you may have a little more time before your homes at risk. But don’t wait too long before you get the repairs started.

What to do if you think you have damage

Our Storm damage services

  • Inspection

    A Harleys Construction and Restoration trained representative will inspect every inch of your property for storm related damages.

  • Damage report

    We will do a full damage report documenting, measuring, and taking photos of all storm related damages

  • Get you approved

    We meet with your insurance adjuster, go over our findings and the best method to of repair.

  • Construction process

    We pull all necessary permits, order all materials needed, schedule the necessary crews, and over see the production.Putting your home back to pre-storm condition or better

If you have damage CLAIM it !

Filing any claims due to tornadoes, hail storms hurricanes and other” acts of God” weather related events are non chargeable claims. They cannot raise your rates individually for filing these types of claims and they cannot drop you, as these are circumstances beyond your control.

Every roofing shingle manufacturer has a clause in there paperwork that voids the roofs warranty when its impacted by hail,and with the latest weather tracking technology they know the exact day and time that occurred

Insurance companies put time limitations on the ability to file claims for weather related damages.Some has short as one year   

In many cases hail damage does not cause your roof to leak right away , it accelerates then aging process of your roof and causes to fail prematurely. So just because your roof isn't leaking right after the storm doesn't mean it isn't damaged.

Since this is a non chargeable claim and you only have a limited time to make it , its a good idea to do so. The insurance companies  are not paying for roofs that have no damage. So have them meet your contractor on the property to put your mind at ease

Sign up for you free inspection today !




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