Hail Size To Damage Roof

Generally speaking any hail above 1 inch in size has a high likelihood of causing damage to common roofing and siding materials.

Hail size to damage roof.

Dime to quarter sized hail 3 4 to 1 inch. The size and the material damage are related to each other and can be illustrated in the chart below. Hail is a powerful force of nature that can even damage roofs made with concrete tiles if the stones are large enough and wind speeds are high. Most storms produce hail that is less than two inches in diameter.

On average it takes a 1 or above diameter hail stone to cause damage to common asphalt shingles. Gutters are also susceptible to hail damage. Of course it depends on several factors including the duration of the storm the amount of hail that fell and so forth. Concrete roofs are broken or destroyed wooden walls are damaged large trees are split or knocked over people are at risk of fatal injuries.

Metal roofs are routinely tested in technical development to handle this size of impact. The level of damage and therefore the potential insurance claim also depends on the velocity of the hail the angle of its fall the hail size hail density and hail shape. A single 1 inch hailstone probably won t necessitate a repair effort. When hail is combined with high wind speeds roof damage can be even more severe.

Therefore as hailstones get bigger wind damage should also be considered. What size hail causes roof damage. 1 inch hailstones 3 tab shingles of asphalt 1 25 inch cedar shingles 1 75 inch concrete tiles 2 inch gravel roofing built up. 4 inches and up.

It s likely that you will be able to see signs of damage such as cracked or broken windows damaged siding or dented gutters. Roofing made from soft metals such as aluminum and copper typically show dents that indicate the size of the individual hailstones. Roofs with multiple shingle layers may be damaged by smaller hail stones due to a softer support surface directly under the top shingle layer. If you live in a region where more extreme hail is common you may need to consider a metal roof that has ribs or striations to deflect hail blows.

When referring to hail sizes here are a few common objects to compare. Marble sized hail can also fall into this safe zone and not normally cause damage to a roof. The more extreme the wind the larger hailstones will be. The amount of hail damage to your roof may also be related to the number of shingle layers if you re dealing with a shingled roof.