Mother Nature strikes when you least expect it. Hail storms are some of the worst blows from Mother Nature, especially during spring. Identifying hail damage on your property – such as your roof, car or furniture – is straightforward. Below are top ways to check if your roof has sustained hail damage.

Inspect your air conditioning unit. All AC units come with a condenser coil which is made from fine aluminum fins. These fins are usually exposed and when hail hits them, they become bent and in turn hinder air circulation. This will have a negative impact on your unit even if 10 percent of the fins are bent.

Take a look from the edge of your roof. Climb a ladder to the edge of the roof and inspect for any signs of granules or dents in the gutters, vents or valley metal. You should only do this if you feel comfortable. It is important to note that damage on shingles might be hard to spot with untrained eyes.

Are there any loose asphalt granules at your down spouts? Each time hail hits your roof, the top granule layer will be knocked off of the shingles. When these granules mix with rain water, they will be washed down the gutter or from your down spout. Therefore, if you spot loose granules at the end of the downspout, be certain that your roof is damaged.

Presence of dents on downspouts, gutters or any metal components. As expected, hail causes dents on thin metals such as gutters and downspouts. To check for dents, just run a piece of sidewalk chalk across the gutter or downspout. Dents will be where the chalk doesn’t appear.

Go through weather reports. You will not be always at home when hail hits. This is why you need to check on the news reports or ask your neighbors about how strong the storm was.

Conclusion: If you are not well-experienced with roof inspection, always seek help from a roof repair professional. You should also consider inspecting items located on your yard, such as metal siding, barbecue grills and garage doors for hail damage.