Yesterday’s Hail Large Enough To Cause Issues To Shingled Roofs

Tuesday’s hailstorm in the Cookeville area may have some wondering about the possibilities of roof damage.

Risher Roofing Owner Randal Risher said those with metal roofs should be okay besides a possible dent or two. But, shingled roofs may be a different story.

“A lot of times what happens is these will come and hit the granules on the existing shingles,” Risher said. “A lot of times, it will also spread out, and you’ll see a lot of granules in your gutters. This will actually take a lot of life time off of your existing shingle.”

Risher said when it comes to shingles, hail damage is more about what it can lead to. Risher said the precipitation has more of a depreciation effect, so it can lower that life expectancy of your roof.

“You’ll see granules that are on top of paper,” Risher said. “These are designed to last anywhere from 20 years all the way up to 50 years depending on what type of shingles you have. Picture it like this. If you take a golf ball and chuck it as hard as you can at your shingles, a lot of times that will cause those granules to fall off. It can really damage your shingles in the long run.”

Risher said identifying damage on a shingled roof is difficult to do from the ground level. Risher said it usually takes a trained professional to find an issue.

“It’s really hard to at times,” Risher said. “It will kind of blend in. It kind of depends on the pitch of the roof, as well.”

Risher said he recommends going local to avoid the risk of scams. Risher said his company provides free first-time inspections.