Hail Storm Water Damage Cleanup in Rockwall, TX

How Hail Storm Water Damage Cleanup Works in Rockwall

Hail damage turns into water damage when ice breaks the outer shell of the house. Large stones crack shingles, knock off granules, split ridge caps, shatter skylights and break windows, and the storm rain that follows comes straight in. In a spring storm the wind can drive water sideways through damaged siding and vents. Some leaks show up during the storm, while others start days later when the next rain finds a bruised shingle that finally gave way.

Most of the water ends up in the attic first. It soaks blown insulation, runs along rafters and the roof deck, and pools on top of the ceiling drywall until stains, sag or drips appear in the rooms below. Broken windows let rain soak carpet, the wall drywall under the sill and window trim. Water that enters through damaged vents or flashing can run inside exterior walls and stay hidden. Rainwater is often treated as category 2 once it has crossed roofing materials and attic debris.

A local restoration crew starts by stopping the water. That means an emergency tarp on the roof or board-up of broken windows, then interior work. Technicians extract water from floors, check ceilings for sag, remove wet insulation and ceiling drywall, and dry the attic deck and framing. Readings follow water down interior walls and into flooring, and drying equipment is placed in each affected room until materials reach dry targets.

Hail across Texas peaks in May, with April close behind. North of Rockwall, the April 11, 2016 Wylie hailstorm damaged an estimated 80 percent of homes in Wylie, with losses in the hundreds of millions. That storm showed how one cell can damage nearly every roof in a neighborhood in minutes. The December 26, 2015 EF4 tornado that tracked from Sunnyvale through Garland and Rowlett showed how wind can open homes to rain as well.