Do I need to worry about hail in florida?
While uncommon, the answer to this question is yes! It can hail in Florida, and that hail can severely damage your roof under the right (or wrong!) circumstances. Hail is essentially water that has frozen together to form balls of ice. These ice balls then fall from the sky and pose a threat to homes, cars, people, and animals as they can be the size of a baseball or even a grapefruit! Hail in Florida is most commonly seen in the Central Florida area, but can also be prevalent in Tampa, FL and surrounding areas, too.
When a hail storm does occur in Florida, most homeowners should consider having their roof inspected because the size and force of the ice could damage the shingles or tiles. When this occurs your roof becomes compromised to further damage and leaks from summer rains. Not to mention hail is most likely to occur before or in hurricane season! There is a lot you should know about hail and hail damage, so our team at Stay Dry Roofing has compiled a comprehensive list of everything you should know about hail and your roof.
What you need to know about hail
- When is hail most common?
In Florida, hail is most common between March and July. This can be an issue for most home and business owners because hurricane season begins in June and the rainy season typically begins in July. So, if your roof gets damaged from a severe hailstorm, you run the risk of experiencing leaks in the near future.
- How does hail damage a roof?
When the hail falls from the sky, the balls of ice can impact heavily on the roof, especially if the size of the hail is fairly large. Imagine throwing a baseball at your roof as hard as you can all over. That will cause some pretty significant damage! Not to mention, during a hailstorm, the hail can fall all over the roof. This means it’s not centralized to one part, but can cause damage to a significant portion of the roof.
- What should I do after a hailstorm?
If you can safely identify the size of the hail, anything larger than a grape can cause damage to your roof. The best first step is to schedule a roof inspection. A trained professional will evaluate your roof and will know signs of hail damage. If the damage is significant, you may need roof repairs or maintenance.
- What can I do to prevent hail damage?
In truth, there is very little you can do. In fact, hail has been such a nuisance throughout history, that in the late 18th century, Europeans attempted to stop hail by firing cannons into the sky or ringing church bells! But the best thing you can do is to keep up on your roof maintenance with routine inspections. Having a strong and complete roof will prevent most of the damage or keep it to a minimum.
- What does hail damage look like?
Depending on the material your roof is made out of, hail damage can present itself in a variety of ways. For shingle roofs, the damage appears black in color, with a random pattern. Often the granules will become loose which makes shingles lose their protective properties. Tile roofs may see cracks or chunks of missing tile pieces. Metal roofs can often see dents or small puncture holes.
- Why do I need to repair hail damage?
Without repair, your roof is compromised. You will likely experience leaks during rainstorms and during high winds, the roof shingles may even blow off. All of this poses a threat to your home or business and can lead to more costly damage or repairs.
- Will I need a new roof after hail damage?
In most cases, hail damage in Florida is not severe enough to warrant a new roof. However, it may be necessary to repair the damage. Roof maintenance and repairs are often required, but the cost is often minimal when compared to replacing an entire roof!
Stay Dry Roofing can help!
If you’ve recently experienced hail damage, it is important to call a reliable roofing contractor right away! In many cases, if identified and reported early enough, home insurance can cover some of the cost of repairs. Stay Dry Roofing has trained experts who can identify signs of hail damage, even if minimal, and offer repairs. We treat all homes and businesses as if they were our own, and offer fair and transparent pricing on repairs and maintenance. We’ve been serving the Tampa, FL area for over 30 years and have a team ready to help you and your family!
