Minnesota spring and summer weather brings us a lot of thunderstorms. While the rain can be nice, when these storms become severe and produce strong winds and hail, your home immediately becomes a concern. Minnesota hail storms can have a destructive effect on your home. Each year, the effects of hail damage cost Americans around $1 billion. Your home’s exterior can easily be damaged from these storms. Continue reading to see how the damage occurs and what happens.
There are many different ways that siding is manufactured and the materials used. Because of this, hail damage can have diverse effects on it. Vinyl siding holds up really well to denting that hail can cause on siding. However, if strong winds are present with the hail storm, the hail may hit your siding hard enough that its durability can be compromised. If this happens, the vinyl siding can crack, holes can occur, or it can break. Wood and metal siding can also dent from hail. The situation is similar; it depends on the force of the storm for the damage that may happen to your siding. The amount of damage is determined by the size of the hail, angle that it falls, and how fast it was traveling when it makes contact. The ideal time to examine your siding for damage is early in the morning or at dusk. The lighting during these times will make damage from indentations more evident. If there are strong winds associated with the storm, it is possible for the siding to pull away from your home.
Hail storms can cause damage to your home’s windows. It can damage window frames, cause cracks or holes, and sometimes break glass. Window sashes may also dent but that is not as easy to detect. A way to tell if there is damage is to run your hand along the areas around your window to see if you feel any indentations. If you are unsure or do not have access to do this, give Snap Construction a call. We are fully equipped and know exactly what to look for. Snap can come out to your property and do a free inspection!
Gutters can take a great hit during hail storms. If you find that there is hail damage on your roof, it is probable that your gutters were damaged during the storm too. This is difficult to tell from the ground. Snap Construction can evaluate if there was any damage caused from the storm.
Your roof is another top concern with your home when a big storm hits. When hail hits a roof, granules on the shingles loosen. These granules protect your room from the sun and precipitation so losing the granules is an issue. Granule loss accelerates the deterioration of your roof because it is not protected from those elements. Loss of granules can also mean a leaking roof. A way that you can check your roof damage from the ground is by going to your home’s downspouts. If your roof is losing a lot of granules, they will collect at the base of the downspouts. Roof vents and flashing will often show indentations if hail damaged your roof. Calling a professional to inspect this is important. Not all effects of hail are immediate, but in the long run your roof will continue to be weakened.
This information is brought to you by Snap Construction, Inc.
