If there is a hail storm near your Chicagoland home, it can knock off the protective granules of your shingles. Without these granules, the shingles are left exceptionally vulnerable, and this can easily turn into leaks in your roofing. However, these leaks may not occur immediately, and they might even take years to develop.

Still, you\’ll want to find any damage as soon as possible. If you wait until you\’ve noticed that your roof is leaking, you\’ll have to pay for much more expensive repairs, and the damage will be much worse.

However, before you call Canga Restoration, you may want to check your roofing first to ensure that it\’s necessary.

Note: If you do decide to check your roofing on your own, always do so safely. Wear shoes with a solid grip and stay away from the edges of the roof. And any time you use a ladder, make sure it is stable and positioned correctly.

How to Check Your Roofing for Hail Damage

  • 1. Start by checking the other parts of your property. If any trees, shrubs, or other plants appear to have been stripped of their foliage after a hail storm, they’ve likely been damaged by hail. Your car, patio furniture, and any metal structures around your home will also be apparently if hail was a problem near your Chicagoland home. If you find damages on the ground, there’s a bigger chance that they’re on your roof as well.
  • 2. Check any metal parts of your roofing. You’ll be able to see hail damage more easily when it\’s on metal parts of your roofing than any other part. If you have any metal vents, flashing, or valleys, look there first for any signs of damage. If you can’t find damages here, there's a chance that you’re in the clear.
  • 3. Check the top of your roof. The ridge cap at the top of your roofing is flat. During a storm, this flat top will take more direct hits from hail than the slanted parts of your roof. So if your roofing has been damaged, this is likely where it will be most prominent. Also check the shingles themselves—and specifically their edges—for any signs of damage.
  • 4. Look for major signs of hail damage. here are three things you\’ll want to look out for when you’re assessing a roof for hail damage: bruising, cracking, and missing granules.

How to Check Your Roofing for Hail Damage

After you’ve found signs of hail damage around your home and roofing, you should call a professional roofing contractor immediately to have the damage repaired. Remember: any damage to your roofing, no matter how small it seems, can escalate very quickly. It\’s never a bad idea to call a Hoffman Estates roofing contractor for a roofing inspection if you suspect any damage.