3 Ways to Identify Damage to Your Home after a Storm

Damage to your roof from a storm, hail in particular, can case more than $1.6 billion in damages each and every year. Although it isn’t all that easy to spot damage to your roof, you want to make sure and look for potential signs of damage to get it repaired right away. Take a walk around and see what all you can find.

Check Some of the Miscellaneous Items Outside

Hail damage goes beyond just your shingles. The hail will dent all of the soft metals before it actually makes its way to the shingles. You want to check through all of the exhaust caps, vents and flashing for signs of damage. Check for signs of leaks in your ceiling or roof. Split seams can also cause a significant amount of water damage. In the end, you could wind up with wood rot and mold.

Cracked, Chipped or Broken Windows

If you have a bunch of window casings that are damaged, that is often the first sign something happened to your roof. Common signs of damage are cracks, holes, shattered windows, damaged frames and broken panes. Go through and check the window glazing, glass, vinyl trim, skylights and the screens.

Granules Forced from Your Roof

Granules are meant to protect all of the asphalt that lies underneath of the shingles from damage. When they start falling off, that normally means there is damage to the roof. Check your gutters, driveway and downspouts for any granules or mineral deposits. It could be the result of damage from the storm, or it might be that your roof is getting old. Either way, you need to get someone out there to replace or repair your existing roof.

Even though you might not notice anything wrong with your roof when standing on the ground, that doesn’t mean it made it through unscathed. Most of the time, you can’t see the damage without actually going up there and inspecting your roof. By calling on a professional, you can determine what’s going on and what you need to do to fix it.