During and right after the storm
Stay off the roof
Wet shingles, hailstones and lightning make a roof dangerous. Interior protection is the only job tonight.
Catch and contain
Put buckets and towels under drips, move furniture and electronics away, and lay plastic over beds and floors in the drip zone.
Watch the ceiling
If a section starts to bulge or sag, clear the room below and keep people out until someone can relieve or remove it safely.
Check the attic if you can do it safely
From the hatch, with a flashlight, look for wet insulation, drips on the rafters or light coming through. Do not walk on ceiling drywall between joists.
Photograph inside and out
Photograph ceilings, attic wetness and any hail lying in the yard with something for scale, plus dented gutters, vents and siding.
Where hail water gets in
Englewood sits in one of the busiest hail areas in the country, and late spring and summer storms can drop large stones in minutes. Hail rarely makes a hole you can see from the ground. It knocks the granules off shingles, cracks old or brittle shingles, splits skylight lenses and plastic vents, dents metal flashing and fills gutters and roof drains with ice. The leak often appears with the next rain rather than the hail itself.
Inside, roof water usually shows up first at the top floor: a stain around a ceiling light or a bathroom fan, water running down the inside of a window, or wet carpet along an exterior wall. On flat or low-slope roofs common on older commercial buildings and some mid-century homes, water can travel a long way along the roof deck before it drips.
A roofer can cover an opening with a tarp or temporary patch once the weather allows. That emergency covering is separate from the full roof assessment an insurer may do later.
Two separate parts of the damage
| Roof and exterior | Interior water damage |
|---|---|
| Cracked or bruised shingles and lost granules | Wet ceiling drywall and attic insulation |
| Broken skylights, vents and caps | Stained walls, window trim and carpet |
| Dented gutters, downspouts and flashing | Damaged furniture, beds and electronics |
| Assessed by a roofer and the insurer's inspector | Measured with moisture meters, then dried |
| Covered temporarily, then repaired or replaced | Repaired after the roof is watertight |
Common questions
How long do I have to report hail damage?
Policies set deadlines, often around a year, but reporting soon after the storm makes the cause easier to establish. Check your policy for the exact terms.
Should wet attic insulation be replaced?
Fiberglass batts sometimes dry; blown cellulose usually compacts and loses insulating value when soaked. A contractor with a moisture meter can tell.
General information for Englewood, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.