Ah, spring is drawing near – that means hail, and hail means roof damage. In fact, in an average year, hail causes more than $1.6 billion worth of damage to residential roofs in the U.S., making it, year in and year out, one of the most costly natural disasters. “Hail Alley” – areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming – may be the center of the storm, but no one’s immune.

When FLASH talks about building homes beyond current building codes, we mean stepping up the product and the practice to a level that exceeds basic storm protection. When it comes to hail, that means using impact-resistant roof coverings with wrappers that state they have passed the UL 2218 impact test and qualified as either Class 1, 2, 3, or 4.These roof coverings are tested using steel balls dropped at varying heights and speeds. A roof that can stand up to class 4 impact may not save you from the worst that Hail Alley can dish out, but it will probably save you your deductible many times over. So reroof right and watch the hailstones fly.

Credit: Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)

Strengthen Your Home Against Hail