Your roof is a very important part of your home. It helps to keep the elements out. It keeps the home warm in the winter and cools in the summer. It can even keep water out so that your attic, and any of your possessions, do not get ruined by the rain. Your roof is even responsible for the outward appearance of your home. When you encounter roof damage from the wind, hail, or another big storm, it can spell disaster for your home.
Most people ignore some of the damage unless it is big because they do not want to deal with the costs and hassle of calling up their insurance company. But if you have roof wind damage, it is important to get the repairs done fast, before it gets worse. A roof repair specialist at Lanier Roofing can help you get your roof restored quickly before the damage gets worse. If you have discovered hail damage on your roof from hail in Greenville, SC, or the surrounding area contact us today for a free repair quote.
What Can Cause Roof Damage?
There are certain things that can cause roof damage to occur. Watching out for these can make it easier to know when it is time to check your roof and inspect it for any issues.
Rain and snow can sometimes cause damage to your roof, especially over time. It can cause mold and mildew when moisture starts to build up. In the winter, the snow can form what are known as ice dams, which can then melt in the spring and cause big leaks in the home.
Big storms are often a major culprit to damage in the roof, especially roof hail damage. When dealing with a big hail storm, it is always a good idea to check the integrity of your roof when it is over. Even smaller pieces of hail can leave dents in your roof and can require you to replace some shingles.
Intense heat from the sun, big winds (especially those that occur during a tornado), moss, and overgrown trees can all be causes of issues with your roof. If there is anything else that hits the roof, you could deal with some damages as well.
The older your roof is, the more likely it is to experience damage from the weather and the elements. Roofs that are only a few years old can often go through a hail storm or other big weather event and barely need more than a few shingles replaced. But if you have an older roof, you may find more damage even after a smaller storm.
Because it is impossible to avoid these elements, it is always a good idea to regularly inspect your roof to catch any roof storm damage or regular roof damage that may be there. If you find something that is wrong, it is always easiest to repair it right away when it is a simple problem, rather than waiting too long and having to replace the whole roof.
What Happens if Roof Storm Damage Goes Unrepaired?
It is important to have your roof inspected shortly after a storm hits, especially if you suspect there may be any roof wind damage. There are a lot of issues that can come up with a broken roof and if you do not even check the roof after a storm, these problems could stick around and get worse. Some of the common issues that come with not fixing your roof after a storm include:
Mold and Mildew
If you leave the roof alone for too long, mold and mildew can grow in your home. Left long enough, It can spread to the HVAC system and then throughout the home. Black mold can occur from chronic water intrusion, something that can easily happen if water leaks after a storm through your roof. Even non-toxic forms of black mold can get in your walls, tiles, and wood framing, and can be expensive to remove. These can also lead to serious health conditions if not treated properly.
Fire Hazards
If you have any electrical wires in the attic, then a leaky roof could end up posing a fire threat to the home.
Slips and Falls
A roof that is severely leaking can cause water to start puddling up on the floor. If no one notices this right away, someone could slip and fall in the process.
Wasted Energy and High Utility Bills
Another thing that you may have to deal with when a roof is not fixed after roof hail damage is higher utility bills. The insulation in your roof can become saturated if there is a leak, and it takes forever to dry out. If you do not repair the roof for a long time, this chronic water can deplete how much insulation is there, resulting in higher utility bills, because the home loses hot and cool air easier.
Compromises the Structural Integrity of your Home
If the roof damage is left for too long, it can cause damage to the ceiling joists, wall framing, rafters, and more. Fixing all this wood can cost you a lot of money, especially if the water started to get into some of the framings in your home.
Require a Full Replacement of the Roof
Many of those who end up fully replacing the roof of their home do so because a small problem got big. Instead of checking out the roof damage when it first happened, they left it alone. This caused the problem to get much worse and eventually led to a full roof replacement. This can be expensive and time-consuming, especially when the original problem only required a few shingles to be replaced.
While some people may not know about the leaks that are in their roofs or others decide the roof wind damage is not that bad and then choose to avoid the costs, it ends up costing way more to leave the issue than to fix it. After a big storm, it is worth your time to get a professional to look at your roof, to ensure the following issues do not occur in your home.
The longer that you wait to fix the damages to your roof, the worse the problems can get. Many homeowners may check their roofs, but feel like a small dent is not that big of a deal, and so they put off fixing it. When you do that, you open yourself up for one of the issues above to occur in your home, and it is much harder to fix one of those than it is to just replace a few shingles.
How to Check for Hail Damage to Roof
There are several things you can search for when checking to see if there is hail damage to your home. Start by taking a look at the shingles. If you notice there are any bald spots, it is likely that you are dealing with roof hail damage. Hail can cause your shingles to lose some of the granular surface material, causing it to look smooth and flat instead of rough and textured. These damaged shingles should be replaced quickly.
The next place to check for any roof damage is the gutters. Look through your gutters to see if there are any shingle granules knocked off after a hail storm. These granules may be small, but once it starts to rain, they soon make their way over to your gutters.
Another obvious sign of roof storm damage from hail is any dents in your shingles. This can be large dents or even smaller dings. It is especially important to get the roof taken care of if the dents or dings are big enough that they show even on the back of a shingle. While you are inspecting your roof, take the time to touch the shingles.
If there is hail damage to your roof, the shingle that has been impacted will be softer compared to those that haven’t been hit. You should inspect the metal parts of the roof. If you notice that there is some damage to the metal vents or the gutters, it is unlikely that there isn’t some roof hail damage as well.
If there are any special places on your roof, make sure to check those as well. You will need to get up close and personal on the roof to ensure you’re not missing anything. Check the cracks, the corners, and all parts of the roof to see whether there has been any roof damage or not on your home. If your inspection reveals hail damage contact us to learn what needs to be done.
Hire a Roof Hail Damage Repair Specialist in Greenville
If you inspect your roof and notice that there is some damage from hail, it is important to call your insurance company and have a professional come and take care of the problem right away. Many homeowners put off doing this because they assume the damage is not too bad.
Leaving roof hail damage or other roof damage for too long can erode at your roof and cause damage to external parts of your home as well. If you get the area taken care of right away, the problem will not be so bad. Call a specialist at Lanier Roofing at (864) 990-4836 today to discuss your damaged roof.
