Checking your roof after a hail storm in Waco
What hail does to a shingle roof, what you can safely check from the ground, and when it makes sense to have someone get up there and look.
Central Texas gets its share of hail, mostly in the spring. After a storm rolls through Waco, Hewitt or Woodway, the roof is usually the last thing anyone looks at, because from the street it often looks fine. Hail damage tends to be small, spread out and easy to miss until it turns into a leak months later.
What hail does to a shingle roof
An asphalt shingle is covered in small granules. They protect the shingle from the sun and give it most of its weather resistance. A hailstone that hits hard enough knocks those granules loose and can bruise or crack the mat underneath. The shingle may still lie flat and look whole, but that spot will age much faster than the rest of the roof.
Hail can also:
- Dent metal vents, flashing and gutters
- Crack or split shingles that were already brittle
- Damage skylights, solar panels and anything else mounted on the roof
What you can check from the ground
Stay off the roof. Wet or damaged shingles are slippery, and a fall is a far bigger problem than anything hail did. From the yard you can still learn a lot:
- Gutters and downspouts. Fresh dents are one of the easiest signs that hail was big enough to matter.
- Granules. A pile of dark, sand-like grit at the bottom of a downspout or along the drip line means shingles lost some of their coating.
- Soft metal. Look at the vent caps, the air conditioner and any metal trim for dings.
- Ceilings and the attic. Water stains or damp insulation after the next rain are a sign something up top has opened up.
Take dated photos of anything you find. If you end up filing a claim, pictures taken right after the storm are useful.
When to get a roofer to look
If you see dents in the gutters or vents, granules collecting at the downspouts, or a new stain inside, it is worth having the roof inspected up close. Bruised shingles are hard to spot from the ground and much easier to find in person on the roof.
It also helps to get it looked at sooner rather than later. Small damage left alone lets water in a little at a time, and by the time a leak shows on a ceiling the decking underneath can be wet too.
If you are in the Waco area
We do roof repairs and full replacements across Waco and the surrounding towns. If a storm came through and you want a second set of eyes on your roof, call us at (254) 447-8414 or send the form.