If you live in the Midwest, you’re likely familiar with the bursts of hail that seemingly come out of nowhere throughout the year. Hailstorms can often damage a home’s roof or crash through car windshields, but siding damage can also occur. Cracks, holes, and concealed water damage may require siding storm damage repairs or a total siding replacement.
How Does Hail Damage a Home?
Hail is a type of precipitation that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts, consisting of solid chunks of ice in varying sizes. When these hail particles become too heavy, they fall to the ground. Hailstorms can cause extreme damage to humans, animals, homes, and cars. In fact, hail damage is one of the most common homeowners’ insurance claims filed each year in the United States.
The largest known hail particle was recorded in South Dakota, weighing over one whole pound. Now imagine something of that size falling from the sky and hitting your home’s siding. There’s a pretty high chance that some kind of damage will happen, even with hail particles of much smaller sizes falling.
Hailstorms are a regular occurrence in areas like the Midwest where thunderstorms are common, but it remains cold enough for ice to accumulate in the atmosphere. High-quality residential roofing helps protect your home’s siding and windows from adverse weather, but hailstorms can still be highly destructive.
Is My Siding Susceptible to Hailstorm Damage?
Modern siding materials such as stone, engineered wood, and vinyl siding are incredibly durable but can still be damaged during hailstorms without the proper installation or quality of care. When considering a new siding installation, keep the following few things in mind to minimize susceptibility to hailstorm damage:
- Installation – Proper installation can protect your home’s siding from more severe issues after hailstorms. Have a professional siding installation company in your area complete the job to ensure it’s done correctly and can withstand harsh weather like hail.
- Age – All siding materials will eventually fail due to old age. Although the average lifespan of vinyl siding is a staggering 20 to 40 years with proper care and maintenance, you still might need to replace your siding after buying an older home to avoid hail damage.
- Environment – Where you live will also impact the longevity of your home’s siding. Homeowners residing in environments where hailstorms, heavy rain, snow, or strong winds are common may experience more siding issues over time.
- Quality – The quality of your siding can also determine its durability during hailstorms. Well-recognized brand names in the construction industry often come with warranties or a guarantee that their siding products are built to last.
- Level of Care – Like we stated above, taking care of your siding is crucial. Annual maintenance is essential for minimizing the impacts of storm damage on your home’s siding. Clean your siding regularly and evaluate it for any issues, which should be dealt with by a professional siding company right away.
Hailstorms are often so severe they dent cars, requiring professional services like paintless dent repair. Other times, essential exterior home components such as siding, roofing, and windows will be damaged during a hailstorm. It’s important to inspect your siding and other systems after a storm to assess any issues and potentially file a homeowners’ insurance claim for hail damage.
The Common Kinds of Hailstorm Damage to Siding
Sometimes even short-lived hailstorms that only last a few minutes can cause severe damage to a home’s siding. Hail smaller than a golf ball has been known to crack windshields in cars and create deep dents in durable metals, so there’s always a chance your home’s vinyl siding can come under fire from hail.
Here are the most common kinds of siding damage contractors see after a hailstorm:
1. Cracking
Blowing debris like sticks and tree limbs or powerful winds can most commonly create cracks in the siding. During hailstorms, the heavy ice conglomerates can also break through even the best siding materials.
Networks of cracks in your home’s siding materials might range anywhere from minor to major instances of damage, potentially requiring the replacement of an entire siding panel at times.
Vinyl siding is very popular for homeowners in environments where hailstorms and other harsh weather conditions are common. Since vinyl siding systems are made up of individual slats, removing and replacing cracked and broken siding panels is a simple process. Very seldom will homeowners have to replace the entirety of vinyl siding on their house, even after extensive hailstorm damage.
2. Chipping
Chipped siding is also another sign of damage often found after a furious hailstorm. Typically, the underside of vinyl siding will chip away over time, thanks to the impacts of the balls of ice.
The best way to determine if this issue is impacting your home’s siding is to view the vinyl siding panels below. Your chosen siding contractor can decide if the damage is extensive enough to warrant a siding replacement or if you just need a simple siding repair after a hailstorm.
3. Water Damage
One other common problem homeowners face with siding is water damage. Although hail itself isn’t responsible for the water damage, the precipitation that comes along with hailstorms can have a detrimental effect on poorly installed siding.
Rainwater easily seeps into improperly installed siding that lacks an adequate insulating barrier behind the panels. The lingering precipitation can cause irreparable damage to the siding, requiring a total siding replacement. Some common signs of water damage to watch out for after a hailstorm include:
- Mold or mildew
- Discoloration
- Water stains
- Warping panels
- Bubbling
- Peeling interior paint or wallpaper
- Fungus growth
Water damage is one of the worst problems for property owners because it isn’t always immediately apparent. Working with a reputable siding company ensures a high level of expertise for installations and repairs, helping homeowners avoid further water damage in the future.
Dealing With Siding Damage
When a particularly severe or heavy hailstorm rains down in your area, it can have disastrous impacts on various exterior components of your home that are essential for protection, such as roofing, siding, and windows. Depending on the hail particle size, cracked or chipped siding panels and water damage can often occur after a hailstorm, requiring you to file a homeowners’ insurance claim for siding storm repairs.
With a reliable storm damage repair company on your side, dealing with siding damage from hailstorms doesn’t have to be a huge hassle. Your chosen siding contractor can work quickly to repair individual slats or recommend a total siding replacement if necessary.
Next time you need storm damage restoration for your home’s siding after a hailstorm, have the experts at Advantage Construction come to take a look. Contact us today to schedule a storm restoration consultation and deal with any siding damage after hailstorms right away.
