Even if hail does not penetrate shingles on shingle roofs, the hard hits can crack, soften and flake composite materials from shingles, resulting in a less resilient surface. 

If left unaddressed, your weakened roof structure will deteriorate more quickly under harsh UV rays, rain, snow, and ice. Water can open up crevices as it freezes and thaws, allowing spring and summer rains to enter, resulting in warping, mold, or mildew within the substrates underneath the shingles meant to protect them.

Flat and low-sloped roofs have their risks when it comes to hail. While many single-ply surfaces can hold up if they have the proper substrates, older roofing was built before the invention of class 4 hail-resistant roofs, leaving them vulnerable to hail damage. 

When hail hits a flat roof or low-sloped roof, it can crack the surface, indent the substrate and cause pooling or ponding when a larger roof area begins to hold water. When water pools or ponds, instead of flowing along predesignated pathways, it adds weight, which further causes materials to warp and bend. 

Eventually, ponding water will find its way through your roof into your building, where damage can become extensive before you notice stains on your ceiling tile.

Hail damage can crack surfaces, causing immediate flooding in your building. The damage was direct when a hail storm hit the Colorado Mills Mall in Northwest Lakewood. 

It caused water to pour into the building, destroying merchandise and causing extensive damage to sheetrock and other building materials. The building damage was so extensive they closed from May 8 until the Thanksgiving holiday, when they opened for Black Friday shopping.

The communities of Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, and Northwest Denver, as well as Commerce City, have experienced significant hail damage in recent storms.

The best place to start if you have experienced a hail storm on your commercial, industrial, or residential property is to schedule an immediate rooftop inspection. Property owners have a fiduciary responsibility to inspect and repair their property immediately, or they risk losing insurance. 

You may be responsible for water damage by failing to inspect your roof, even if you have insurance plans covering your building, capital investments, and merchandise. In addition, you may lose the opportunity to exercise your warranty if you don't maintain your roof to a warrantable standard.

A regular inspection and maintenance plan can assure you keep your roof up to warrantable and insurable standards. Patching minor damage usually secures the seal on your existing roof until the following severe hail incident. 

If damage has been extensive, a rooftop coating can provide enough protection to keep your building dry, and a seal can come with an added warranty, helping you to extend protection for your rooftop in the case of a catastrophic storm.