Hailstorms can be exciting, but once you get over the novelty of seeing pieces of ice falling from the sky, you start to focus on the damage that the hail can do to your home and property. Few structural elements are as prone to hail damage as roofs. After all, a roof is a mostly horizontal surface meant to stop things like hail so they don't come into your home. Most roofs do require some level of repairs after a major hailstorm. Here are some of the specific repairs your roofer may recommend.

Replacing Dented Shingles

If you just give your roof a cursory glance after a hailstorm, you might notice that all of the shingles are in place and figure everything is okay. But while hail does not always knock shingles out of place, it does often cause shingles to lose granules in places where the hail strikes. Granule loss is a big deal for shingles since those granules are supposed to encourage water to drain off the roof. Missing granules may just look like flat or matte spots on your roof shingles. If your shingles are missing granules after a hailstorm, your roofer will likely remove and replace those shingles. Sometimes, there may only be a few shingles that need to be replaced. But it is worth replacing them before they deteriorate any further and start leaking.

Replacing or Repairing Flashing

Flashing is the metal that roofers put in the valleys of roofs. They also put flashing around chimneys. Since flashing is usually attached with bolts or rivets, these bolts or rivets can come loose if they are struck with hail. This can cause the flashing to pull away from the roof. Then, water can seep under it and lead to leaks.

If your roofer finds some damaged or missing flashing, they will recommend repairing it. Damaged rivets can usually just be replaced. But if the flashing itself is torn, it may need to be replaced entirely. Peeling off damaged flashing also gives your roof a chance to dry out. it may need to dry out if water seeped behind the flashing while it was damaged.

Hailstorms are a common cause of roof damage. If your roof has been through a hailstorm, have a roofer come look it over. They'll tell you whether you need either or both of the common repairs above. The sooner the repairs are made, the better.

For more information, contact a roof repair service, such as Clear Roofing and Siding LLC.