What Hail Damage Really Does to Your Roof

What Hail Damage Really Does To Your Roof

By George Quijano, Roof Ready

What hail does to a shingle

An asphalt shingle is basically a mat soaked in asphalt, covered with a layer of small granules. Those granules are your roof's sunscreen. They protect the asphalt from the sun and help water run off.

When hail hits, it knocks those granules loose and leaves a dark, bare spot. Harder hits can bruise the shingle, cracking the mat underneath even when the surface looks fine.

Once the asphalt is exposed, our strong Colorado sun starts drying it out, and the shingle gets brittle much faster than it should.

That's why a roof can look okay after a storm and start leaking a year later.

Why Colorado Hail Is Hard On Roofs

https://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/ACEFS2W1YzrLg5Y48myi/media/6abd99e3b54f11872a59a8bd.jpg

Choosing a roofing contractor after a storm is stressful. Homeowners often feel unsure who to trust, what their insurance actually covers, and whether the damage they see on the surface reflects what is happening underneath. Getting clear, reliable information early in the process makes a real difference in how smoothly the project goes from start to finish.

This article walks through the most common questions homeowners in Parker, Centennial, and Castle Rock ask when dealing with hail damage. From spotting soft spots on shingles to understanding insurance adjusters, knowing what to expect puts you in a much stronger position before any work begins on your roof.

"AH, BUT THE HAIL WAS TOO SMALL TO CAUSE DAMAGE, RIGHT?"

Generally, hail about the size of a quarter (1 inch) is when most shingles start getting damaged. Thicker architectural shingles, which most homes around here have, can usually take a little bigger before they bruise. Golf-ball-size hail almost always does damage.

But size isn't the whole story. Research from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety found that smaller hail, the kind we get over and over on the Front Range, slowly wears shingles down. A roof that's taken years of small storms is much more likely to be damaged by the next big one. So an older roof can be hurt by hail that a new roof would shrug off.

Why Hail Damage Is Not Always Obvious

Hail damage is not always obvious from the ground. Small dents on shingles can look minor but strip away the protective granule layer that shields the asphalt beneath. Once that layer is gone, UV exposure and moisture start breaking down the shingle quickly, leading to leaks months after the storm has passed.

The size of the hail matters, but so does the age of your roof and the angle of impact. Older shingles crack more easily. Steep pitches take hits differently than low-slope sections. A trained eye can tell the difference between cosmetic scuffs and structural compromise.

Gutters are one of the first places to check. If you see granule buildup collecting at the downspout after a storm, that is a strong indicator your shingles took meaningful damage. That granule loss is permanent and signals the roof needs professional evaluation.

https://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/ACEFS2W1YzrLg5Y48myi/media/6abd99de10a2b7bc2b4dc4d3.jpeg

Signs to look for after a storm

You don't need to get on a ladder. (Please don't, especially on a wet roof.) From the ground, check:

1) Your gutters and downspouts. A pile of dark, sandy granules washing out after a storm can mean your shingles took a hit. Some granule loss also happens with age, so it's a sign to get it checked, not proof.

2) Soft metal around your home. Dents in your gutters, downspouts, mailbox, or AC unit tell you the hail was big enough to leave a mark, and give a good idea of how big it was.

3) Your neighbors. If roofing crews start showing up on your street, there's a good chance your roof got hit too. Hail tends to fall in patches, so the house next door is a better clue than a news report.

4) Inside your home. New ceiling stains or damp spots in the attic usually mean water is already getting in.

it's not always obvious

Most hail damage can't be seen from the street. Bruises and small cracks are often only visible up close, and sometimes only by feel: a bruised spot on a shingle feels soft, almost like a bruise on an apple. That's why an inspection means someone actually getting on the roof.

Repair or replace?

It depends on how much damage there is and how old your roof is. When we inspect after a storm, we mark off test areas on each side of the roof and count the hail hits, the same way insurance adjusters do.

If the damage is limited to a few spots on a newer roof, a repair is often enough. If hits are spread across the whole roof, or the roof is older and the shingles are already brittle, replacing it usually makes more sense, because patching a worn-out roof just means paying for repairs again after the next storm.

We'll tell you honestly which one your roof needs.

https://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/ACEFS2W1YzrLg5Y48myi/media/6abd99deb54f11872a59a80e.jpeg

What to do after a hailstorm?

1) Write down the date of the storm. You'll need it if you file an insurance claim.

2) Take photos from the ground of anything that looks damaged, like dented gutters or granules in the downspouts.

3) Get an inspection before calling your insurance company, so you know what you're dealing with. In Colorado, you generally have at least a year from the storm to file a hail claim, but waiting makes everything harder.

4) Be careful with door knockers. After big storms, out-of-state crews show up fast. Check that any roofer is local and has real reviews from your area.

Think your roof got hit?

We'll come take a look for free. We'll get up on the roof, take photos of what we find, and tell you honestly whether you're looking at nothing, a repair, or a new roof. No pressure, and no scare tactics.