Mitigating the Risk of Hail Damage to Your Commercial Roof

9/2/2020 (Permalink)

Hail damage on a roof

When severe weather strikes in Asheville, NC, one of the associated risks it brings with it is hail. Roof damage caused by hail costs property owners over a billion dollars in repairs annually. There are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood that hail will cause damage to your roofing system.

Know Your Roof

The better you know your roof, the easier it will be to spot signs of potential damage. You should watch for the following:

• Cracked shingles
  
• Missing shingles
  
• Loose or missing materials, including flashing
  
• Peeling materials
  
• Clogged or damaged roof drains
  
• Tree limbs hanging over your roof
  
  

Repair and maintain any signs of damage or threats you identify. The better shape your roof is in, the better it will be able to withstand the onslaught of hail and the less likely you'll be to experience roof damage.
If you do experience extensive damage from hail and other associated weather risks such as high winds, never attempt to assess the damage yourself. There could be associated dangers of which you are unaware. Hire professionals who are trained to assess and restore damage to commercial buildings.

Reinforce Structures on Top of Your Roof
You may have additional equipment that is housed on top of your roof. This could include HVAC equipment and solar panels. These items are susceptible to hail damage when they aren't properly equipped to withstand hail's force.
If your HVAC equipment isn't made to withstand the impact of hail, you can install protection around your HVAC unit. This might be hail guards or wire mess. Hail guards allow air to flow freely and can be designed to cover any outdoor equipment that needs extra protection.
Prior to purchasing solar panels, if you are in a hail-prone zone, you should research to make sure the panels are impact-resistant.
When hail strikes, your property doesn't have to be a sitting target. There are precautions you can take to mitigate potential roof damage and property loss.