Effective Means of Protecting Your Home from Hailstorms

Almost all of us have experienced bad days because of weather conditions that we haven’t predicted. In most cases, much of our experience with bad weather can be summed up as mild annoyances that could make us late for work or our clothes wet. But even though there are “bad” weather conditions that don’t necessarily have that much impact on our lives other than being an annoyance, there are also devastating weather conditions that can significantly impact our standard of living.

Hailstorms are one of the more devastating and dangerous weather conditions in the United States. A good portion of the United States will at least experience thousands of hailstorms in a year. Not only are hailstorms dangerous to the safety of people out and about, but they can also cause problems to farms and commercial facilities.

In most cases, the damage from hailstorms can be so severe that it can cause thousands worth of damages to just a single household. With that said, what are some things that we can do to mitigate damages to our homes? Here’s what you need to know.

What Is Hail?

But before anything else, we have to discuss the consistency of hail. This can help us understand better what we can do to counteract its effects.

Hail is a type of precipitation that is mostly comprised of solid ice. Compared to horizontally-blown sleet, which can be “mushy” in texture, hail can cause a considerable amount of damages. In most cases, homes and commercial buildings are designed for “bad” weather conditions, but most are not designed with impact resistance in mind. Think about it: you can easily damage a block of concrete from a piece of hail that’s dropped from a considerable height.

The kinetic energy produced by hailstorms can be a problem for most buildings that don’t have impact-resistant building materials. But the good news is that many homes that are already in the path of hailstorms will already have impact-resistant materials installed. However, this does not guarantee that your home is now immune from hail and any propelled debris in your area.

Here’s what you can do to protect and preserve your home’s structural integrity.

Mind Your Roofing

First and foremost, you’ll need to consider one of the most important parts of your home that’s responsible for retaining much of the house’s structural integrity: your roof.

Certain types of roofing, such as asphalt shingles and slate tile roofing, might have a longer lifespan than other roofing types, but this does not mean that they can last against impact from debris and hail. In fact, broken shingles are normally caused by impacts, often leading to a myriad of roofing problems, such as ice dams and leaks.

If you’re still in the process of planning out your home or you need a new roof, you might want to consider contacting a professional roofing contractor that has the right materials. Metal roofing is known for being impact-resistant, especially to hail. Most would suggest using steel sheets on areas that are usually hit by hail. Fortunately, some steel manufacturers can make a myriad of different construction materials.

Not only will investing in hail-resistant roofing avoid future damages, but it’s also known for giving homeowners a discount from insurance firms.

Maintaining Your Property

Another important way that can help prevent more damage from hail is by making sure that your property is maintained. It’s important to note that debris from trees and your surrounding area can amplify damages to your home. Strong winds and hail can propel much of this debris at high speeds, which can cause damage to your property. In some cases, this debris can penetrate thick walls.

That said, you might want to trim foliage around your roofing area and your perimeter. If there are fences that can be easily uprooted, you might want to keep them out of harm’s way by storing them in your garage.

Hailstorms, just like tornadoes and hurricanes, are some of the most devastating parts of nature. Although most building materials can withstand natural weather conditions, harsh storms, high winds, and hailstorms can definitely leave a score if you’re not addressing critical parts of your home.

Sure, you might have to spend or completely renovate your home to stop the forces of nature from destroying your hard-earned property, but it’s still the most optimum decision. Think about it: would you rather have your home totaled from a storm or fix up some dents on your roof? Safety should always be the priority when it comes to ensuring everything is in order.