After the Hail Storm How To Inspect Your Roof Like a Pro

In South Carolina this week hundreds of homeowners are flooding the phone lines of local roofing companies for help repairing the damage from a barrage of marble-sized hail. An unusually intense hail storm caused damage to roofs, windows, cars, and property all over the Spartanburg County region, a story that’s sure to play out again and again as the temperatures rise this spring.
It doesn’t take a hail storm for the ages to cause serious damage either; even an average intensity storm can cause costly damage to homes with older siding and residential roofing materials.

So after hail storm roof damage, how do you inspect your roof like a pro?

Step 1: don’t.
That’s right, just don’t. While it might seem simple enough, breaking out the ladder and climbing up for a quick look, thousands of Americans will break their legs and worse during DIY roof inspections.
While some homeowners do have the home improvement experience needed to pull off a proper roofing inspection, most of us don’t. So unless you’re moonlighting with roofing contractors, it’s a task best left to the professionals. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take any action at all. Examine the roof from the ground for obvious signs of damage or holes, then check attics and crawlspaces for signs of leaks. If you find anything requiring emergency repair work, don’t wait to contact roofing companies, the best of which offer free quotes.
Don’t forget that many kinds of damage won’t be obvious to the naked eye, and instead require the experience of professional roofing companies. While everything might look fine at first glance, your local roofing companies would quickly spot serious signs of damage.
In Spartanburg, South Carolina, local roofers were getting 30 calls a day after the hail storm, and one local roofing company owner shared some sage advice for his neighbors.
“If they let us know they’re in the danger of leaking, we can make arrangements to get it emergency tarped and prevent it from getting any worse,” said roofer Rick Turner. He also advised homeowners to be wary of door-to-door roofing contractors who suddenly appear after a storm. Police have a term for these con artists, they call them storm chasers.
“As soon as they drive off your property, your warranty goes with them,” Turner said. “If you can’t call us, call another local roofer and they’ll get to you as soon as they can.”