Hailstorms hit the Midwest during the spring, so it’s best to be prepared to spot hail damage on your flat roof. Let’s look at the common types of hail damage that appear on commercial roofs. Then we can discuss how to handle hail damage when you find it on your roof.
Different Types of Hail Damage
The types of hail damage that occur depend on the type of flat roof membrane your commercial building has. These membrane types include:
- TPO Membranes: Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membranes can resist damage from up to 1 3/4-inch hailstones. However, a TPO membrane becomes more susceptible to hail damage as it ages and the plastics leak out of it. TPO roof hail damage often appears as semicircle patterns or cracks in the membrane. If you have an aging TPO roof that you want to protect from hail, you can install rigid insulation boards beneath the membrane to reinforce it.
- EPDM Membranes: EPDM roof membranes can resist damage from up to 2 1/2-inch hailstones. These membranes are more flexible than TPO roof membranes, but they can sustain hail-induced punctures if the substrate underneath the membrane surface has grown soft. EPDM hail damage often appears as membrane cracks, similar to TPO membrane damage.
- Built-Up Roof (BUR) Membranes: BUR membranes have layers of asphalt and gravel poured between and on top of layers of reinforcement fabric. The gravel and the layered structure make this type of roofing system more resistant to hail damage than single-ply EPDM and TPO roof membranes. However, the membrane can become susceptible to hail if it sustains large amounts of foot traffic that loosen the gravel from the membrane’s top layer. BUR membranes are more susceptible to damage from small hailstones, usually about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. These small hailstones loosen the gravel and damage the asphalt beneath it.
The hail damage that appears on your roof depends on the roofing materials on the membrane. If you want to know what type of damage you can expect during Midwestern hailstorms, determine what type of commercial flat roof you have and read its section above.
What To Do After You Spot Hail Damage on Your Commercial Flat Roof
Examine your flat roof after a hailstorm occurs in your area. If you notice your roof has sustained damage, contact your insurance company to make a claim. Then contact Kirberg to schedule a roof inspection. Our inspections assess the damage and help you prove the extent of the damage to your insurance company. Your insurance company may send an inspector of their own to assess the damage, but that inspector may perform an assessment that only works in your insurer’s favor. Contacting Kirberg for an inspection helps you get your insurance claim approved. How? When you contact us, you have a professional roofing contractor in your corner that can document the damage and all its details. We work on your behalf to get your hail damage insurance claim approved so your insurer will cover any necessary roof repairs.
What Other Storm Damage Does Kirberg Assess?
When we perform inspections for storm-related insurance claims, we check for wind damage as well as hail damage. High winds can pick up single-ply membranes and lift them off the roof system. Combine this storm damage with hail impact on an exposed roof system and your building could develop significant problems if you don’t schedule roof repairs quickly after the storm occurs. When you contact us for storm damage repairs, we use top-quality roofing products to keep your membrane fully adhered to your roof.
Repair Your Flat Roof’s Hail Damage With Kirberg Company
If your commercial flat roof has sustained hail damage and you want a contractor to perform an inspection and roof repairs, reach out to Kirberg today. We assess your roof’s condition and the storm damage it sustained. Then we work with you and your insurance company to get your claim approved. We’re ready to help you determine how much hail damage your roof has sustained, how to get your insurance claim approved, and what repairs your roof needs.
