St. Michael Residents Assess Damage after Storm

Residents Assess Damage after Storm in St. Michael MN

Minnesota Roof Hail Damage 2011

St. Michael, Minnesota was hit hard with a tornado that ripped roofs off garages of a home. The worst damage inflicted by a volatile storm system that swept across central and eastern Minnesota on Tuesday May 10th late that evening. Short time later deputies were called to a house on the 9500 block of 42nd Street NE that had a garage roof blown off. A handful of nearby homes had suffered minor roof and siding damage.  Temperatures in the 90”s and high levels of moisture fueled the storm system, which dropped hail across a wide swath of the state’s midsection. Some of the hail was golf ball sized or better, causing damage to roofs.

Assessing Damage after Hail

So What is Hail Damage and How Do I Identify It?

First and foremost you cannot properly identify hail damage from the ground. You must physically inspect the roof to determine if it’s been damaged. What we’re looking for are areas that are bruises. The bruise will have exposed the underlying asphalt and removed the granules from the surface. A very important factor in identifying hail damage is to rule out other factors that may appear to be damaged but are not. This includes damage cause by those who installed the roof, foot traffic damaged caused by anyone who may have been on your roof, and possible material defects.

Along with Spring Weather……..Comes Hail, Rain and Heavy Wind!

Along with the summer weather come hail, wind, rain, thunder and lightning. It becomes necessary to get the roof repaired quickly, before the damage from the ice balls becomes water damage inside. Determining hail damage to your roof depends on several factors. The type of roof you have will make a big difference in identifying damage. Asphalt roofing tends to get damaged more often than slate or tile roofs, for obvious reasons.

It’s important to know that hail doesn’t have to be large in order to cause damage to your roof. If the hail storm was accomplished by high winds as small as a peas can cause roof damage. As long as the granules are displaced and the underlying asphalt is exposed it’s most likely damaged. Another impact factor is how the exposed asphalt looks; it should look black like a freshly paved street. It can take up to a year or even longer for the UV to begin breaking down the asphalt which will turn gray so it’s important to note the difference. This is very important for insurance reasons, but that is a different topic altogether.

Hail damage to roofing is a problem faced by home owners in St. Michael MN.  While there is a specific time period during which hail may occur, it can still cause unforeseen damage. Hail is solid and circular and, may vary in sizes, from those of peas to golf balls. As such, it is likely to seriously damage any surface it may hit, from cars to homes. Detecting and identifying roof hail damage is essential to prevent further problems like those of leakage and water collection. Call a Minnesota Roofing Expert they can assist you in assessing the extent of your roof damage.