Hail Size To Damage Roof

4 inches and up.

Hail size to damage roof.

The amount of hail damage to your roof may also be related to the number of shingle layers if you re dealing with a shingled roof. What size hail causes roof damage. Most storms produce hail that is less than two inches in diameter. Concrete roofs are broken or destroyed wooden walls are damaged large trees are split or knocked over people are at risk of fatal injuries.

If your roof contains one layer of common asphalt shingles it usually takes a 1 or above diameter hail stone to cause damage roof hail damage. The level of damage and therefore the potential insurance claim also depends on the velocity of the hail the angle of its fall the hail size hail density and hail shape. Roofs with multiple shingle layers may be damaged by smaller hail stones due to a softer support surface directly under the top shingle layer. Gutters are also susceptible to hail damage.

Hail is a powerful force of nature that can even damage roofs made with concrete tiles if the stones are large enough and wind speeds are high. The size and the material damage are related to each other and can be illustrated in the chart below. Of course it depends on several factors including the duration of the storm the amount of hail that fell and so forth. It s likely that you will be able to see signs of damage such as cracked or broken windows damaged siding or dented gutters.

If you live in a region where more extreme hail is common you may need to consider a metal roof that has ribs or striations to deflect hail blows. Metal roofs are routinely tested in technical development to handle this size of impact. When referring to hail sizes here are a few common objects to compare. If a storm brings hail that is over one inch in diameter the hail damage to your roof will probably be obvious.

However it should be noted that hail is produced by wind updrafts shooting raindrops higher into the atmosphere where it freeze before it falls to your roof. Generally speaking any hail above 1 inch in size has a high likelihood of causing damage to common roofing and siding materials. Dime to quarter sized hail 3 4 to 1 inch. Roofing made from soft metals such as aluminum and copper typically show dents that indicate the size of the individual hailstones.

Therefore as hailstones get bigger wind damage should also be considered. 1 inch hailstones 3 tab shingles of asphalt 1 25 inch cedar shingles 1 75 inch concrete tiles 2 inch gravel roofing built up. A single 1 inch hailstone probably won t necessitate a repair effort. The more extreme the wind the larger hailstones will be.