Hail Size To Damage Roof

What size hail causes roof damage.

Hail size to damage roof.

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. 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. Concrete roofs are broken or destroyed wooden walls are damaged large trees are split or knocked over people are at risk of fatal injuries.

4 inches and up. Of course it depends on several factors including the duration of the storm the amount of hail that fell and so forth. On average it takes a 1 or above diameter hail stone to cause damage to common asphalt shingles. 1 inch hailstones 3 tab shingles of asphalt 1 25 inch cedar shingles 1 75 inch concrete tiles 2 inch gravel roofing built up.

It s likely that you will be able to see signs of damage such as cracked or broken windows damaged siding or dented gutters. 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. Dime to quarter sized hail 3 4 to 1 inch. If a storm brings hail that is over one inch in diameter the hail damage to your roof will probably be obvious.

Generally speaking any hail above 1 inch in size has a high likelihood of causing damage to common roofing and siding materials. The more extreme the wind the larger hailstones will be. Gutters are also susceptible to hail damage. Roofing made from soft metals such as aluminum and copper typically show dents that indicate the size of the individual hailstones.

Roofs with multiple shingle layers may be damaged by smaller hail stones due to a softer support surface directly under the top shingle layer. The size and the material damage are related to each other and can be illustrated in the chart below. 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. When hail is combined with high wind speeds roof damage can be even more severe.

Marble sized hail can also fall into this safe zone and not normally cause damage to a roof. A single 1 inch hailstone probably won t necessitate a repair effort. 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. Therefore as hailstones get bigger wind damage should also be considered.