How to tell the difference.
Roof blistering vs hail damage.
One of these storm clusters was a beast of a hail storm in colorado.
Typically asphalt shingles only blister where the exposure conditions on the roof include one or more of the following.
How to distinguish wear types on asphalt shingle roofs.
In 2019 the united states experienced 5 396 large hail storms as documented by the noaa severe weather database.
Hail damage leaves a dent while blistering causes more debris than hail damage due to the popping.
According to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration noaa there was a total of 4 611 hail storms in the united states during the year 2018 with 2019 ending on a higher number as of year end more than 5 396 hail events were recorded although most people think that property and roof damage only occur in rare instances with larger than average hailstones even the smallest.
This article tells readers how to identify roof shingle hail damage and how to distinguish a hail damaged roof from blister rash damage foot traffic damage wind and other conditions such as shingle rash blistering cracking and granule loss associated with normal shingle aging.
Hail damage is usually scattered around the entire roof instead of just one location.
Eventually the tops will erode away.
Blisters are caused by the expansion of volatile gasses escaping from the asphalt layer.
From there many of the adjusters are paying for roof replacement because they too believe that what was observed on the roof is functional damage from hail strikes.
Hail damage compared with blister rash damage on asphalt roofing shingles.
Blister on the left hail damage on the right.
Of the 300 roofs i inspected 40 45 of them were suffering from blisters that occurred as a result of the manufacturing process and showed no direct physical damage from hail.
Gas migrates to the shingle s surface where it forms bubbles.
That storm dropped a record setting 4 83 inch diameter hailstone in bethune colorado.
Foot traffic wear on asphalt shingles click to enlarge any image the dented metal flashing shown in the roof photo just above contributed by a reader is compelling evidence that the roof has been exposed to a hail storm.
Blisters are typically small steep sided craters measuring a quarter inch 6mm or less in diameter with no granules visible in the crater.
The main differences between blistering and hail damage are.
This illustration shows the difference in profile between a.
Hail storm damage vs.
Occasionally damage from hail is mistaken for damage from blisters.