In most areas of the country, the summer months are highly anticipated. Harsh cold winters can make the warm weather feel like a relief. Summer also brings occasional severe weather. The types of weather include heavy rains, high winds, and hail. The weather can cause different types of damage to homes. One area of homes that gets hardest hit by summer storms is the roof. The following points represent some types of damage you can expect to occur to your roof in inclement summer weather.

Loose Granules

Granule loss is usually associated with aging shingles. It is sometimes one of the key signs that a roof replacement is in the near future. Granules look like sand, and you might notice subtle shedding. The granules will appear in gutter downspouts and on the ground. Heavy rains can encourage a significant loss of granules. They may appear on the ground near gutters in clumps. The primary function of granules is to protect the underlying shingle material. Shingles missing an excessive amount of granules cannot provide adequate roof protection.

Missing Shingles

This can happen when there are high winds associated with summer storms. This can happen regardless of the age of roofing materials. Sometimes the shingles do not blow off, but they might get loose to the point that they flap. Missing and unsecured shingles expose rooftops and make them vulnerable to leaks. This issue should be treated as a roofing emergency because most of the time summer storms will appear in close proximity to each other.

Hail Damage

Hailstones can be as small as pebbles, but the icy precipitation can also be large. Some hailstones may reach the size of a golf ball or larger. The larger hailstones are a serious threat to roofing materials. The intensity of the hail making contact with roofing materials can result in significant damage that looks like dimples in the roof. The damage is referred to as pockmarks. Hail-damaged shingles must be replaced because they damage the shingles and cause granules to become loose. If the damaged shingles are not extracted and replaced, there is an increased chance of a roof leak occurring.

A roofer is a good resource to use to understand more about potential summer roof damage that can be caused by storms. If you suspect roof damage or can clearly see it, a roofer can perform a roofing inspection and make roof repairs. Ignoring signs of roof damage can lead to worse damage.

For more information, contact a residential roofing service.