Hail came through Elkhorn and you want to know if your roof took damage? Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding offers a free hail inspection with photos of everything we find. If water is getting in, we can tarp within 24 hours, then give you a written plan for the repair. Call (815) 624-6278. We answer 24/7.
Signs Hail Hit Your Elkhorn Roof
Hail damage is easy to miss from the driveway. These are the clues worth checking from the ground, and the ones we confirm up close:
- Bruised or cracked shingles. A soft spot where the mat underneath was crushed, or a crack across a tab.
- Granules in the downspouts. A pile of shingle grit at the bottom of a downspout after a storm is a common early sign.
- Dented vents and flashing. Soft metal on the roof shows hail first. Check the box vents, the ridge vent and the chimney cap.
- Split or chipped siding. If the wall facing the storm took hits, the roof above it usually did too.
Please stay off the roof. A wet or damaged roof is slippery, and we can see more from a ladder and the attic than you can from the peak.
Where Hail Lands in Elkhorn
Elkhorn is the Walworth County seat. The blocks around the courthouse square hold the oldest houses, many with steep roofs, dormers and chimneys that collect hail damage in the valleys and around the flashing. Farther out are the ranches and split levels, and on the edges toward the interstate sit the newer subdivisions and townhome buildings. Open farm ground surrounds the town on most sides, so storms reach the outer neighborhoods with little to break them up.
Hail on Elkhorn’s Ranches and Split Levels
A lot of Elkhorn’s houses went up between the 1960s and the 1980s, and many of those ranches and split levels are on their second or third roof by now. Some still have a newer layer nailed over an older one. Two layers hold heat and age faster, and hail tends to crack them rather than just mark them. Long, low ranch roofs also put a lot of shingle in front of the storm. When we inspect, we check how many layers are up there and how old the top one is, because that decides whether a repair will hold.
Townhomes and Rentals After a Storm
Elkhorn has plenty of townhome buildings and rentals, and the owner is not always nearby when hail hits. We can inspect without you on site as long as we can reach the roof safely. You get the photos and written findings by email, and for an association building we can send the same report to the board. Water that gets in on a shared roof can show up in a different unit, so we trace it to where it actually entered.
Repair Now, or a Roof Built for the Next Storm
If the hits are limited to a few spots on a healthy roof, we repair them: new shingles, new vent covers or flashing where they were dented, and a check of the deck below. When hail bruised every slope or the shingles were already worn, replacement is usually the better long term choice than patching. In that case we lead with GAF shingles, including Class 4 impact resistant options that hold up better to hail. Ice and water shield goes on every eave, and most roofs are done in a day. See roof replacement in Elkhorn.
Wondering how a roof claim works after hail? Our page on how roof claims work walks through it.
Did the Siding Take Hits Too?
Hail that marks a roof often splits or holes the siding on the same side of the house. We fix siding by replacing the damaged boards or sections, never with sealant or filler. Martin is a Certified James Hardie Installer, and Hardie fiber cement is our first choice; vinyl is the other main option. See Elkhorn siding, or look at a James Hardie siding example from Elkhorn to see the product on a local house.
Why Elkhorn Homeowners Choose Martin
- GAF Master Elite, a status held by fewer than 2% of roofing contractors.
- Recognized by GAF with 2-Star President’s Club.
- Since 2006, we have helped thousands of homeowners.
- Best Roofer 6 Years Running.
- A 50-year GAF warranty with up to 30 years on workmanship (GAF eligibility rules apply). See our GAF warranty page.
- Open 24/7, and inspections are free for everyone.
More for Elkhorn
Our Elkhorn roofing page covers everything we do in town. For leaks and wind damage, see Elkhorn roof repair. For the bigger picture, read about hail damage repair, wind damage repair and storm damage repair. Nearby, see hail damage roof repair in Delavan and our Lake Geneva page. Book your free inspection or call (815) 624-6278.
Elkhorn Hail Damage FAQ
How can I tell if hail damaged my Elkhorn roof from the ground?
Look for dents in the roof vents, chimney cap and downspouts, shingle grit piled at the bottom of the downspouts, and chips or splits in the siding on the side that faced the storm. Those point to hail, and a free inspection confirms it.
Is a hail inspection in Elkhorn free?
Yes. Inspections are free for everyone. We photograph each hit and give you a written plan for repair or replacement.
Can hail damage show up weeks later as a leak?
Yes. A bruised shingle can hold for a while, then crack and let water in after a few freeze and thaw cycles. That is why a check soon after the storm is worth it, even if nothing is leaking yet.
Can you inspect a rental or townhome roof if I am not there?
Yes, as long as we can reach the roof safely. We send you the photos and written findings, and we can copy the association if you want.
What new roof holds up better to hail in Walworth County?
A GAF Class 4 impact resistant shingle holds up better to hail than a standard shingle. We bring samples to the free inspection and talk through whether it fits your house.
