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Hail hit Springbrook, Innisfail and Bowden. Learn where storm damage can show up around your roof and exterior and what to check next.
The August 23rd storm brought severe hail through parts of Central Alberta, with near golf-ball-sized hail reported around the Red Deer area. Springbrook was among the communities that saw significant property damage, with homes and vehicles taking direct hits as the storm moved northeast through the region.
If your home is in Springbrook, Innisfail, Bowden, or the surrounding area, it is worth taking a careful look around the property after a storm like this. Hail damage can show up in several places, and some of the easier signs to spot are often found away from the roof.
You can learn quite a bit without climbing a ladder. Walk around the home from the ground and look for pieces of shingles or siding, dents in eavestroughs and downspouts, damaged window screens, cracked exterior trim, or roofing granules collecting near the bottom of the downspouts.
If something on the roof looks damaged from the ground, leave the closer inspection to someone with the proper equipment. Wet surfaces, loose shingles, and storm-damaged materials can make getting onto the roof more dangerous than usual.
Asphalt shingles can show hail damage through bruising, impact marks, cracked areas, or the loss of protective surface granules. You may notice darker spots where granules have been knocked away, although some damage can be difficult to identify without looking closely.
A few loose granules around the property are common as a roof ages. After a major hailstorm, larger concentrations around downspouts or visible impact marks across the roof are worth having checked.
The way siding responds to hail depends on the material, its age, and the direction the storm came from. Vinyl may crack or develop holes, while other siding materials can show dents, chips, or impact marks.
Pay particular attention to the side of the house that faced the storm. Damage can sometimes be concentrated on one wall while the rest of the exterior looks relatively untouched.
Metal eavestroughs and downspouts are useful places to look because hail dents are often easier to see there than on roofing shingles. A number of fresh dents can also give you an idea of how much impact the rest of the exterior experienced.
Check that sections have not pulled loose and that water can still move freely through the system. Damage around hangers, joints, and downspout connections can lead to drainage problems later.
Smaller exterior components are easy to overlook after a storm, but they can take just as direct a hit as the roof itself. Metal flashing, roof vents, fascia, and soffit may show dents, cracks, loose sections, or other signs of impact.
These components help keep water moving away from vulnerable areas of the home, so damage around roof edges and openings is worth addressing even when the shingles appear to have held up well.
Hail can damage more than glass. Screens may tear, frames can become dented or cracked, and exterior trim or seals around windows and doors can also take damage.
Checking these areas while you walk around the home gives you a more complete picture of what the storm affected. Photos taken at this stage can also be useful if you later need to document the damage.
One interesting detail from the storm was how much conditions varied within a very small area. Springbrook saw significant property damage, while nearby Gasoline Alley reportedly received hail of a similar size with considerably less damage.
Wind direction, hail angle, roof age, and the materials installed on the home can all affect what happens during a storm. Even two houses on the same street can come through the same weather with very different repair needs, so your neighbour's experience only tells you part of the story.
A home can come through a hailstorm without needing major repairs, and a visual check from the ground is a good place to start. Roof damage can also be difficult to judge from that distance, particularly when the concern is bruising, granule loss, flashing, or other areas that are hard to see.
If your home was directly in the path of the storm, nearby properties show obvious damage, or you simply want a clearer answer, a professional exterior inspection can help. The inspection should tell you what was found and which areas, if any, need attention.
Once you spot signs of hail damage, keeping the next steps simple can make the process easier to manage:
If repairs are needed, a detailed estimate should explain what was damaged and what work is being recommended. That gives you something concrete to review and makes it easier to understand the project scope.
Epic Roofing & Exteriors has been helping Alberta homeowners with roofing and exterior projects since 2001 and has completed more than 50,000 projects. With our Red Deer location serving Central Alberta, our team is familiar with the kind of hail and wind damage homes in this area can experience.
We've also worked closely with insurance companies for years, helping homeowners understand their coverage and move through the claims process with less back and forth. That experience is part of why homeowners and insurers alike trust our assessments.
Because hail can affect several parts of a property at once, we can inspect the roofing, siding, eavestroughs, soffit, fascia, and other exterior components together. We can document what we find, explain what needs attention, and provide a detailed quote if repairs are required.
If your home in Springbrook, Innisfail, Bowden, or the surrounding area was affected by the recent storm, contact Epic Roofing & Exteriors for an inspection and a free detailed quote. We can help you get a clear picture of your exterior's condition and what, if anything, needs to be done next.
