Capron is a railroad village of about 1,400 people in one of the most rural parts of Boone County, with homes from the 1800s and the 2000s a few blocks apart. When hail comes through, Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding drives over from Roscoe, about 25 minutes, for a free inspection, and you see a photo of every hit before we recommend a thing. Reach us at (815) 624-6278 around the clock; an open roof can be tarped within 24 hours.
Three Ages of House in One Village
Capron started as Hebron Station on the Chicago and North Western and incorporated as a village in 1887. With only about 400 homes, its Census estimates are rough, so we checked them against ZIP 61012, which shows a similar pattern. For 2020 to 2024, the village estimate puts about 1 in 5 homes before 1940, about 13% in the 1950s and close to half from 1990 through 2009.
The original streets, such as Wooster, Grove and North, hold the oldest frame houses. Some of the 1950s homes are plain ranches. The neighborhoods off Cloud Mist Drive and Shadowbrook Drive are the newest, and some of those roofs may still be the ones the builder installed.
How Hail Marks Each Kind of Roof
Houses from before 1940
These roofs can be steep, with porch roofs, dormers and chimneys tied in. Old metal valleys and chimney caps dent easily, and if a newer layer was put over an older one, the top shingles have a soft bed under them and can crack instead of just bruising.
1950s ranches
Hail falling straight down strikes a low, wide ranch roof more squarely than a steep one, so the hits can land harder. Ranches this old may also be on a second or third roof, with shingles that have little grit left to lose.
1990s and 2000s homes
Builder shingles that are now 20 to 30 years old can be stiff, with weak seal strips. Hail can knock granules loose down to the black mat, and plastic roof vents can crack outright. Those spots let water work into the shingle over the next few winters.
Hail Damage or Just an Old Roof?
Not every bare spot is hail. Aging shingles blister, curl and shed grit on their own, and that wear is spread across the roof. Hail damage looks different: scattered round marks, often with a soft feel when pressed, fresh exposed mat, and dents in metal on the same side of the house. We photograph what we find and tell you plainly which one you have, even when the answer is ordinary wear. If it is storm damage and you are thinking about a claim, our guide on how roof claims work explains the steps.
Shared Roofs After Hail
Roughly 1 in 8 Capron homes are attached houses or in buildings with two to four units. When one roof covers more than one owner, we inspect the whole roof and give each owner the same photos and written findings.
Repair or Replace
Light, scattered damage on a roof with years left in it calls for a repair. Heavy bruising on most slopes, or hail on top of an extra layer, can mean it is time for a new roof. For a replacement, the old shingles come off to bare decking, bad boards are swapped, every eave gets ice and water shield and a full GAF roof goes on. Impact resistant GAF Class 4 shingles are worth asking about in a hail area. Most roofs are replaced in a day. Financing runs as low as $149/month for qualified buyers.
Being GAF Master Elite, a title fewer than 2% of roofing contractors earn, means a qualifying new roof can get a lifetime GAF warranty with up to 30 years on workmanship (GAF eligibility rules apply). Read the GAF warranty page.
Siding Hit by the Same Storm
Cracked or holed siding is replaced board by board or section by section, never smeared over with sealant or filler. We recommend James Hardie fiber cement first and vinyl second. Visit Capron siding repair.
Why Hire Martin in Capron
- What Rocks Rockford Best Roofer, 6 years running.
- In business since 2006, helping thousands of homeowners.
- CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster.
- An Inc. 5000 Company.
More for Capron
The Capron roofing page has the full list of our village services. Ordinary leaks go to Capron roof repair, and more storm reading is on hail damage repair and wind damage repair. Neighbors west and east can check hail damage roof repair in Poplar Grove or hail damage roof repair in Harvard. Ask for a free inspection online or phone (815) 624-6278.
Capron Hail Damage FAQ
How can I tell hail damage from normal wear on my Capron roof?
Wear is spread across the roof as curling, blistering and general grit loss. Hail leaves scattered round marks with fresh exposed mat, often with dents in metal on the same side. We show you photos and tell you which it is.
My ranch has a low roof. Is it more likely to show hail damage?
It can be. Hail falling straight down strikes a low slope more squarely, and an older ranch may have shingles with little grit left.
Our neighborhood roofs are from the 2000s. Should we get checked after a storm?
Yes. Shingles 20 years old or more are stiffer, so hail can break them down to the mat. A free inspection with photos answers the question.
We share a roof with the townhome next door. How does that work?
We inspect the whole roof and give each owner the same photos and written findings, so both sides see the same plan.
Where are you based, and how do I reach you?
We drive about 25 minutes from 11704 Main St in Roscoe. Someone picks up (815) 624-6278 day and night, and a leaking roof can be tarped within 24 hours.
