Like our love for Ranch Dressing and forgetting about Tornado Siren testing on the first Wednesday of every month, there is another thing almost all midwesterners have in common – the knot that forms in our stomachs when we hear hail beating against our cars and homes during a hot day’s thunderstorm.

Hail is no friend of ours in the midwest. It’s cold, inconsiderate and likes to damage everyone’s property. Sometimes you just want to enjoy the sounds and smells that come with a summer thunderstorm and then hail shows up and ruins everything. How much damage is this uninvited guest capable of causing? The answer: more than you may realize.

After a severe thunderstorm, especially when hail occurs, every homeowner’s main concern is whether or not the storm caused any damage to their home. More often than not, when the storm passes, we take a look at our homes and vehicles and assess the damage ourselves. If there are no visible signs of damage, we consider ourselves lucky and call it a day. What some don’t realize is that not all storm damage is created equal, and not all storms leave immediate signs of damage.

Hailstones vary in size and can be anywhere from the size of a pea all the way to the size of a grapefruit. The largest hailstone ever reported in the U.S. was 8 inches in diameter and weighed almost 2 pounds!  The larger the hailstone, the faster it falls. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, smaller hailstones around 1 inch in diameter can fall anywhere between 9-25 MPH. The average size of a hailstone in a severe thunderstorm is about 1.75 inches in diameter and can fall at speeds of up to 40 MPH – a menace to both society and our homes! Not to mention that hail can fall sideways. There are so many variables to take into account but large balls of ice and very high speed winds do not mix well. 

These giant frozen raindrops  are capable of busting through your windows, creating subtle problem areas in siding that cause not so subtle issues, and causing shingle failure. 

If no aesthetic damage is obvious, it can be easy to ignore wind and hail damage after a storm. It’s not uncommon for a hail damaged home to remain completely unnoticed for months at a time, at which point the slow moisture leaks can cause everything from mold and mildew to wood rot.

You might notice your utility bills going up in the winter, as hail-damaged roofs will let warm air out. The same is true of hail-damaged siding. Compromised spots in your siding and roofing can also lead to pests entering the home, particularly with wood siding and roofing materials. If even the smallest amount of damage is not addressed in a timely manner, it can get worse and grow into a larger problem over time. So what’s next? Do you find a contractor? Do you contact your insurance company?

We are here to help! We start by scheduling you a free, no obligation inspection of your home. One of our trained representatives will inspect your siding, gutters, downspouts, windows, window trim, decks, patio furniture and of course your roof! We’ll let you know if we find any damage. If we don’t, we’ll let you get on with your day and if we do, we will help guide you through the next steps of the process. 

We will act as an advocate for you with your insurance company to make sure you are getting exactly what you need and that nothing is missed.