After a Summer Hailstorm, Check Your Attic Before the Ceiling Starts Staining

The storm lasted fifteen minutes, maybe less. Hail clattered on the driveway, and the gutters spilled over. Then the sky cleared as it had never happened. From the yard, the roof looked okay the next morning. But three weeks on, a heavy rain came through and left a brown ring on the bedroom ceiling. Hardly anyone links those two things right away.

Hail works like that a lot, unfortunately. A bruised shingle or a cracked vent cover might hold out just fine until the next hard rain. By then, though, the attic insulation is soaked, and so is the ceiling drywall under it. You’ll usually need a roofer for the outside and a water damage restoration service for the inside, often in the very same week.

Crews from Restoration Logistics in Denver run into this pattern every summer. Oddly, the stain often looks smaller than the wet patch above it. Why does that happen? Insulation soaks up the water and moves it sideways first, so the drywall below gets it last.

Why Hail Keeps Damaging So Many Denver Roofs

Denver is in Hail Alley. The Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association says that stretch, with the Front Range at its heart, gets more large hail than anywhere else in North America. Hail season here runs from about April to September, give or take. June and July tend to be the worst. Only Texas has ranked above Colorado for hail insurance claims.

Shingles are just the outer layer. Beneath them is the roof underlayment, felt or synthetic sheeting that serves as a second barrier against the water. When hail cracks a shingle or strips off the granules that shield it, more water reaches that underlayment. If the underlayment has a worn or torn spot, the water can drip through to the roof deck and down into the attic.

Let’s break down where leaks usually start.

See also: What a Withhold of Adjudication Means After a Plea in Florida

Common Hail Damage Leak Points on a Roof

Roofs have more weak points than people think. Once a storm passes, ask a qualified roofer to take a close look at these:

• Shingles with cracks or bare patches where granules came off
• Metal flashing around chimneys and walls that hail bent out of place
• Plastic vent covers and skylight edges that cracked on impact
• Gutters and downspouts dented enough to overflow during rain
• Pipe boots with split rubber seals

Climbing onto a roof after a storm is not a great idea for most homeowners. A pair of binoculars from the yard can show a lot, and granules piling up at the bottom of a downspout are another clue.

How to Spot Attic Water Damage From Inside

The attic often shows trouble before the ceiling does. Can you get up there without risk? Take a flashlight along and check for:

• Damp or matted insulation in one area
• Dark stains on the underside of the roof deck
• Daylight showing through the boards
• A stale, musty odor you hadn’t noticed before

Downstairs, watch for bubbling ceiling paint or drywall that has started to sag. That second one needs care. A sagging section may be holding a lot more water than you’d guess, so nobody should stand beneath it. See moisture near a ceiling light? Leave that fixture switched off until someone has looked at it.

What Restoration Includes After a Roof Leak

Drying an attic takes a slightly different approach than drying a basement. Crews usually remove wet insulation, since it rarely dries well in place and it loses much of its value once it compacts. Then they measure moisture in the ceiling drywall and framing before setting up drying equipment. They check readings each day. Ceiling repair and painting come last, once the roof is sealed and the materials test dry.

Insurance and Hail Deductibles in Colorado

Hail damage is usually covered by a standard homeowners policy in Colorado. The deductible is the part people miss. Many policies here carry separate wind and hail deductibles, and they can be a percentage of the home’s insured value instead of a flat dollar amount. It can turn out bigger than people expect, so checking it before the next storm season makes sense.

The association has also warned about out-of-state contractors going door to door after big storms. Before signing anything, check their references and local licensing. Also, take photos and videos of the damage first.

From the street, a roof can look perfect while it lets water in. Nobody wants to find that out from a ceiling stain in August. Still, a quick inspection after each major storm, inside and out, catches most problems while they are small and the fix is simple.