Water Leakage Vulnerabilities for Shingles with Hail Damage
This IBHS study investigated the water permeability of shingles damaged by hail and demonstrated the importance of choosing an impact-resistant product with an excellent tear rating (based on IBHS’s Hail Impact-Resistant Shingle Ratings) to reduce the potential for hail damage causing water leakage into the roof.
Research
Shingle performance plays a critical role in overall roof performance and degradation. When shingles are impacted by hail, cracks, tears, or other damage to shingles may lead to water damage to the roof.
Key findings
- There is a clear relationship between:
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- The size of a dent and the water leakage rate
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- Small dents resulted in negligible water leakage
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- Large dents was quite large water leakage
- There is also a relationship between tear severity and the water leakage rate:
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- A tear severity approaching 1 (on a 0–3 scale) allowed large amounts of water leakage.
