Hail Damaged Gutter : What To Do

Hail Damaged Gutter. This time of year hail with thunderstorms is common. Though we may not think that they are very dangerous, the amount of damage they can do is quite amazing.

NOAA estimates that in the past 10 years property hail damage has ranged from $482.9 million to $2.96 Billion, and since hail lasts an average of 15 minutes that’s a hail of a lot of damage. Pardon our pun.

Hail Storms can damage your roof, automobiles, and other property. The larger the hail the more damage it can cause but even the smallest hail can cause quite the damage. When the wind blows it, not only your roof can be damaged but your gutters as well.  If you encounter this during a hail storm we have some steps you can take to get it fixed.

Before Any Storm

Take some pictures of your roof as it is now. You’ll want to plan ahead to be consistent about photographing the same 3 to 4 sections of your roof over time. Be sure to digitally date the photos and keep them printed out in your files and stored digitally on an external hard drive.

Contact your insurance company and find out how many “impacts per square” constitutes hail damage under your homeowner policy. Generally, it’s between 5-10 impacts per square. Keep this information, along with the contact person’s details with your homeowner policy.

After the storm blows over inspect your home and automobile. Look at your roofing shingle, look for dings and damage on your car and gutters (both are metal).

For Non Visible Damage

Take and date photos of the actual hail from that storm. Keep a file or an Excel spreadsheet that tracks rainfall afterward. Occasionally check your gutters (and photograph them) to stay on top of roof shingle grit deterioration, a key sign that there was damage from the hail storm. Start checking for signs of exposed asphalt in your roof (that used to be covered by shingle grit). If the signs of damage are there, you’ll likely notice them after 4-6 months. At this point, you may want to contact your insurance company.

For Visible Damage

If the damage is pronounced right at the time of the storm, again, take and date pictures of the actual hail from the event for your records. You may want to ask your insurance company to send out an adjuster to review the damage. Based upon the number of impacts, you may qualify to have your roof replaced under your homeowner policy. If you can show before pictures to the adjuster, you may help set a reference point, again furthering your claim.

Hail storms can damage gutters and gutter guard systems too. Hail can come down with such tremendous force.  It can punch a hole right through the gutter. Having to be replaced. If have to replace your gutter guard, it’s a great opportunity to look at the latest advancements and not just replace it with the same product you had in the past. You’ll likely find lots of debris in the gutter, choose a system that will keep out even the shingle grit going forward.

For a free estimate on gutter cleaning, repairs or adding gutter guards, call us today! Gutters &  Guards experienced team will take the guess-work out of the process, and ensure that your home is protected.

Connect with us for daily inspiration, updates and information:
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Tags: Charlottesville Virginia, Construction and Maintenance, damage, gutter cleaning, Gutter Guard, Gutter Guards, Gutters, Gutters and Guards, hail damage, Home repair, Lynchburg Virginia, Materials and Supplies, Rain gutter, repair, replace, Roof, Storm, summer, Virginia, Weather