Oftentimes, we bring you information that is not necessarily related to roofing but will make your life and home more efficient, comfortable, and enjoyable. Because we have heard from so many of you that you are planning roofing projects in 2015, we want to talk about roofing. In particular, we want to discuss an enemy of roofing – hail.

With thousands of hail storms hitting the US every year, hail can be very damaging.

• Our warranty includes the paint finish to not be damaged by hail and the product to not leak due to hail damage. This is important because, after severe storms, you may wait weeks and even months for a contractor. Not having interior damages during that period is critical.

• Whereas other roofing materials soften or become brittle with age, making them more susceptible to hail damage, a metal roof is just as hail-resistant in 10, 20, 30, and 40 years as it is when it is new. This is absolutely not the case with most other roofing materials.

• The deep texturing of most of our metal roof designs helps to mask minor indentations which may occur during hailstorms. This is far different from what occurs with less textured metal roofs. We also offer high density foam backers as an option behind our panels to enhance their hail resistance.

So, here are a few statistics on hail.

• Every year has its fair share of severe hail storms. They tend to be concentrated in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. Hail Reporter provides interesting statistics, maps, and graphs of storm activity in recent years.

• The largest hail event ever recorded in southern California was a storm with 2.75” diameter hail stones that occurred in Riverside County in September 1960.

• The largest recorded hail stone in the US fell in Vivian, SD in July 2010. It measured nearly 8” in diameter – about the size of a bowling ball. This individual stone weighed nearly two pounds.

• While we think of the worst storms as being in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, the costliest hailstorm in US history occurred in St. Louis, Missouri in April 2001 with claims totaling over $2 billion while the second costliest was in St. Louis in April 2012 with losses estimated at $1.6 billion.

• The most expensive damages caused by hail tend to be roofs, sidewalls, gutters, and vehicles. Severe storms, though, can even crack concrete sidewalks and driveways. Depending upon the timing of the storm, crop damage can also be extensive.

2014 was a very active year for hail . While March through June are historically the worst months for hail, devastating storms can occur throughout the year and are the result of layered ice particles being formed by unstable air masses with strong updrafts.

While the effects of severe hail will be seen on any materials the hail impacts, your best protection is a roof that is not brittle, soft, or decaying as the result of years of exposure. If you think that a new roof could be good for your home, its beauty and its protection, please call us at 314-596-0596 or email us at [email protected].