With record amounts of hail damage lately, it’s easy to see some of the seriously damaged areas. Most homeowners insurance will send someone out to assess the damage and they are very good at helping you deal with the loss or damage to your home. Hail can cause very serious damage to anything in its path. I have witnessed everything from roof damage to bushes around houses likely to die from hail storms.

I’ve compiled a short list of things to look for to help assess your damage.

1. Roof; Hail can literally suck the life out of your roof. The amount of roof damage is directly related to the size of the hail and the duration of the storm; Hail the size of a dime will cause some damage, but hail the size of a golf ball will destroy a roof in just a few minutes. To look for hail damage you will need to get on a ladder (safety first, only go up where you feel safe) and look for random areas that have round areas of damage, remember every time you look at a roof that it is 10 years old or so. will have some uneven spots. If you see several of these dents or nicks where the granules are missing or worse on your roof, it is very likely that your roof surface needs to be replaced.

2. Gutters; Gutters are usually aluminum and will dent very easily in a hail storm, look for dents at the top. In a storm with high winds the hail will even damage the downspouts. Look for small dimples along the entire run of gutters and downspouts.

3. Fireplace or gas vents; Metal chimney caps and rain caps can be damaged by hailstones. Very tall chimneys should be checked by a roofing contractor or someone with the proper equipment to access the top. Aluminum gas vent covers are made of soft aluminum and can be completely crushed, but are easily replaced.

4. Flashing; Aluminum flashing along wall intersections and chimneys are highly subject to damage. Cut step flashing on brick chimneys is likely to be damaged and not easily repaired.

5. Skylights; if you have skylights, you should look at them closely. Aluminum frames are subject to severe damage and look for cracked or broken glass. The plex glass dome type is subject to small cracks and should be observed very closely.

6. HVAC units; Your outside heating or cooling system may have some dents on the top, but this should not affect the performance of the unit. The important thing to look out for is the fins and the coils along the side, if the fins are damaged the unit will not get good airflow or it will create a leak which will cause problems. Notify a heating and cooling contractor to check the units.

7. Windows; Broken glass is easy to see, but check along the sash and trim for damage. There are many different styles of windows, but vinyl trim from many brands is susceptible to shattering during storms. Look closely at each window.

8. Window screens; Window screens are easily inspected for damage. List and replace as necessary.

9. Coating; the type of siding on your home will determine the amount of time needed to inspect. Vinyl siding can chip, crack, and simply gouge a hole with large hailstones. Brick and stone houses are very unlikely to have any problems. EIFS (synthetic stucco) doesn’t do very well in hail storms, if you have EIFS in your home you should look closely for dents and holes in the house. This is not something that a do-it-yourselfer can repair; get a stucco contractor to do any repairs. Another thing to consider if you have stucco and the windows are damaged, make sure the seal between the two materials is properly finished.

10. Outdoor equipment; Grills, playground equipment, or gazebos should be checked for damage.

11. Shrubs; your plants are often overlooked in the home overhaul process. If you have severely damaged trees or shrubs, you should call in a professional or at least spray the plant with a fungicide to help with the healing process.