Hail in Loves Park rarely leaves a hole you can see from the lawn. It leaves bruises, loose granules and dented metal that turn into leaks a season or two later. Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding finds that damage with a free inspection, photographs each hit, and gives you a written plan. We work Loves Park from our Rockford office on Fincham Drive. Call (815) 209-9054; the line is answered 24/7, and we can tarp within 24 hours if water is getting in.
A City That Grew in Waves
Loves Park started as a gathering spot on land Rockford industrialist Malcolm Love bought in 1901, and it did not incorporate as a city until 1947. The decennial Census counted about 5,400 people in 1950 and just over 20,000 by 2000, and you can read that growth in the roofs.
Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 put the median Loves Park home at 1986. Nearly a third of homes date from 1950 through 1979, and roughly 37% went up between 1990 and 2009. Only about 6% are older than 1940. So a hail inspection here often means one of two roofs: a postwar ranch that has been reroofed more than once, or a 1990s or 2000s house that may still wear the builder’s originals.
Postwar Ranches: Wide Slopes, Thin Margins
A low ranch roof looks easy, but it has a lot of surface facing the sky and not much pitch to shed water. When hail knocks granules off a shallow slope, rain sits on the bare spots a little longer every time it storms. On these houses we look closely at the field of the roof, the vent stacks and the low eaves where meltwater collects in winter.
1990s and 2000s Houses: Seal Strips and Ridge Caps
On the newer two stories, hail often lands on shingles that are now 20 to 30 years old. The adhesive strips that hold each tab down have weakened, so a hailstorm with wind behind it can break the seal and leave a tab that lifts in the next gust. Ridge caps take the first hits and crack along the fold. We lift a few tabs by hand during the inspection to see whether the seal still holds.
Townhomes and Shared Roofs
Loves Park has a good share of attached housing. About 11% of homes are attached single family units, and about 17% are in buildings with two to four units. On a shared roof, a storm that bruised one end can bruise the whole run, and water can travel under the shingles before it shows up in a neighbor’s ceiling. We photograph the entire building, mark where damage starts, and can send the same written findings to each owner or to the association.
Trees Along the Rock River
Older streets near the Rock River have big, mature trees. Hail shreds leaves and snaps small branches, and the debris piles up in valleys and behind chimneys where it holds water against the shingles. Heavier limbs that come down in the same storm can crack decking under shingles that look mostly intact. If a limb hit your roof, tell us when you call so we check that area from the attic too. See Loves Park roof repair for leaks that are not storm related.
What to Do Before We Arrive
- Photograph dented vents, downspouts and siding on the side the storm came from.
- Put a bucket under any drip and move what you can away from wet spots.
- Leave shingle pieces where they fell; they help us read the storm.
- Stay off the roof and away from any limbs resting on it.
Repair, Replace and Class 4 Shingles
Light, scattered damage on a sound roof gets a repair: matching shingles, new vent covers or flashing, and a check of the deck below. When the bruising covers most slopes, or the seal strips are failing across the roof, replacement is usually the better long term choice. We tear off to the deck, put ice and water shield on every eave, and install a full GAF system. GAF Class 4 impact resistant shingles are an option if you want a roof that handles hail better. Most roofs are done in a day, and payments run as low as $149/month for qualified buyers.
A qualifying Martin roof can carry lifetime GAF warranty coverage with up to 30 years on workmanship (GAF eligibility rules apply). See our GAF warranty page.
Damaged Siding
If the walls took hits, we replace the damaged boards or sections rather than patching them with sealant or filler. Hardie fiber cement leads, since Martin is a Certified James Hardie Installer, and vinyl is the other main option. See siding in Loves Park.
Why Loves Park Homeowners Choose Martin
- GAF Master Elite, a status held by fewer than 2% of roofing contractors, with 2-Star President’s Club recognition.
- CertainTeed SELECT ShingleMaster and CertainTeed 5-Star Contractor.
- Since 2006, we have helped thousands of Rockford-area homeowners through roof claims. Read how roof claims work.
- Best Roofer 6 Years Running and an Inc. 5000 company.
- Open 24/7. Inspections are free for everyone.
More for Loves Park
Our Loves Park roofing page covers everything we do in the city. For more on storms, see hail damage repair and storm damage repair. Next door, read about hail damage roof repair in Machesney Park and hail damage roof repair in Belvidere. Book a free inspection or call (815) 209-9054.
Loves Park Hail Damage FAQ
My Loves Park house still has its original 1990s shingles. Is it more likely to be damaged by hail?
It can be. Shingles that age have lost flexibility and the seal strips have weakened, so hail can crack them or break the seal. A free inspection shows whether the hits are real damage or just marks.
Can one townhome owner get a hail inspection for the whole building?
Yes. We inspect the full roof, photograph where damage starts, and can send the same written findings to every owner or to the association.
A branch landed on my roof in the same storm. Do you check that too?
Yes. We look at the impact spot from the roof and from the attic, because a heavy limb can crack decking under shingles that look fine.
Should I clean up shingle pieces before you come?
It helps to leave them where they fell and take a photo. Where pieces landed and what they look like help us read the storm.
How quickly can you get to a leaking roof in Loves Park?
Call (815) 209-9054 any time. We can tarp within 24 hours to keep water out until the repair is made.
