Repair or Replace? Your Guide to Hail Damage
Your roof protects your home and everyone living in it, so ensuring that it is in good condition is one of the most crucial forms of maintenance that a homeowner can perform. If you’ve just experienced a hail storm in your area, and you’ve noticed damage to your roof, you should consider whether or not a repair or replacement is necessary. While you can usually spot serious roof damage from the ground, not all hail damage is that obvious. However, when hail damage is left unchecked it can worsen and lead to issues like rotting underlayment and roof decking, mold, bacteria, and other problems related to water damage. That’s why if you’re trying to get answers to the “repair or replace” question, you should first and foremost hire a professional.
What Roof Companies Are Looking For
The most severe hail can crack shingles and even dent a residential metal roof, but not all hail damage means that your entire roof needs to be replaced. A trusted roofing company will be able to expertly assess your roof, looking for telltale signs of hail damage, such as:
- Bruising, dents, or cracking in the shingles
- Bare spots on the shingles
- Loose granules in your downspouts and gutters
- Soft spots in the shingles
- Dents or dings in metal roof vents, metal valleys, or flashing
Your roofing company should be able to scope out the extent of the damage and make an educated assessment on whether a repair or replacement is necessary. However, it is generally noted that if your roof is actively leaking, a full replacement will be in order. If there is no active leak, your roof might be able to continue to work as intended, even with mild dings and scrapes, so a repair would be the first option considered.
Beware of Storm Chasers
The importance of partnering with a reputable fully licensed and insured roofing company to assess your hail damage can’t be overstated. That’s because there are plenty of storm chasers to watch out for unsavory characters who offer cut-rate roofing services in order to scam you or your insurance company for money. These so-called contractors can create serious problems for you down the line, so take the time to do your research on a roofer before hiring them to come and assess your hail damage.
Home Solutions of Iowa
At Home Solutions of Iowa, we can be trusted to provide you with an expert roof assessment. We are a local, fully licensed and insured home improvement contractor that has been serving the Des Moines, Iowa, area since our founding in 2003, making us one of the most tenured—and trusted—local companies. After a hail storm, we will send a Haag certified residential roof inspector to your home to assess the damage, so you can feel totally confident that your inspection is in good hands. We will handle everything from the initial inspection to the final touches for you, even taking care of all of the necessary documentation, so by the time your roof is restored, you will have received a hassle free experience and renewed peace of mind.
Contact Home Solutions of Iowa today to learn more about our roof repair services and to schedule an inspection at your Iowa home.
