Hail hit your Poplar Grove, IL home? Martin Exteriors Roofing & Siding inspects and repairs hail damage from our Roscoe office at 11704 Main St, about 20 minutes from the village. The inspection is free, we photograph every hit we find, and you get a written plan before any work starts. Call (815) 624-6278. Someone answers 24/7.
Builder Shingles Reaching the Age Hail Finds
Census estimates put the median Poplar Grove home at 2002, and most of the village went up in the 1990s and 2000s. Many of those houses still have the builder-grade shingles they were built with, now around 20 years old. Young shingles flex when a hailstone hits. Older ones have dried out and lost granules, so the same stone is more likely to crack a tab, crush the mat or leave a bare spot that bakes in the sun.
Because so many roofs in a subdivision are the same age, one storm can mark a whole street. If neighbors are having their roofs looked at after hail, yours took the same storm.
Storm Hits or Normal Wear?
On a 20-year-old roof, you want to know what the storm did and what time did. These are the signs we look for:
- Hail marks land at random. They scatter across a slope and pile up on the side facing the storm.
- Each strike leaves a dimple. You see a small round patch with the granules knocked off, and the mat below can feel spongy.
- Wear is spread out. Age thins granules across the whole roof and curls or cracks the shingle edges.
- Soft metal backs it up. New dings in roof vents, the chimney cap, the mailbox or the AC fins point to hail.
Our photos label storm hits and age wear separately, so nothing is left to guesswork. Book a roof inspection or use the free inspection form. Leaking without a storm? Our Poplar Grove roof repair page covers that.
Open Fields and the Storm Side of the House
Poplar Grove’s subdivisions sit right next to farm fields, so storms reach them with nothing in the way. Wind pushes hail at an angle, which means the slopes and walls facing the storm usually take most of the damage while the street side can look fine from the driveway. We walk every slope, not just the one you can see from the road, and we note which way the storm came from in the photos.
Candlewick Lake and Wooded Lots
Candlewick Lake has far more tree cover than the newer subdivisions. A storm there can bring hail and falling limbs together. A limb does not have to punch a hole to do harm. It can crack decking under shingles that still look attached. When the attic is safe to reach, we check the underside of the deck for soft spots, stains and daylight. Candlewick Lake is an association community, so the photos and written findings can go to you and, if you want, to the association too.
Builder-Grade Vinyl After Hail
Most homes here were sided with builder-grade vinyl, and after 20 years of sun it gets brittle. Hail that would bounce off new siding can split or hole older panels on the storm side. The fix is to pull the damaged boards or sections and put new ones in. We never use filler or sealant on siding. We also find out whether your color and profile are still made, so you know up front if a section will match.
If the walls are due anyway, Martin is a Certified James Hardie Installer. Hardie fiber cement is our first recommendation, vinyl is the other main choice, and LP SmartSide is available too. Most siding jobs take 1 to 2 days. See Poplar Grove siding.
What Happens After You Call
- Call (815) 624-6278. We pick up 24/7. Please do not climb up, and keep children and pets clear of fallen branches.
- Free inspection. We go over every slope, look in the attic when it is safe, and check vents, flashing and the walls.
- Photos and a written plan. Each hit is pictured, and you get a straight answer on repair versus replacement in writing.
- Tarping within 24 hours if water is coming in. A tarp holds the weather out until the permanent fix is scheduled.
When a New Roof Is the Better Call
When the storm landed on shingles that were already tired from end to end, spot repairs rarely last long. Replacing the roof is often the smarter spend then, and the photos make the case either way. We lead with GAF shingles, and Owens Corning is available on request or to match existing shingles. For extra hail resistance, ask about Class 4 impact-rated shingles, the highest rating a shingle can earn. Ice and water shield goes on every eave, and most roofs are done in a day. See roof replacement in Poplar Grove.
Why Poplar Grove Homeowners Call Martin
Fewer than 2% of roofing contractors hold GAF Master Elite status, and Martin Exteriors is one of them. That lets us offer a 50-year GAF warranty with up to 30 years on workmanship on qualifying roofs (GAF eligibility rules apply). These are roof warranties, not storm-damage coverage. GAF has also recognized us with President’s Club. We are a four-time Inc. 5000 company (2021 to 2024), and we were voted What Rocks Rockford Best Roofer, 6 years running (2020 to 2025). Since 2006 we have worked across the Stateline, installs run year-round, winter included, and financing starts as low as $149/month for qualified buyers.
More for Poplar Grove
Everything else we do in the village is on our Poplar Grove roofing page. For the bigger picture, read about hail damage repair, wind damage repair and storm damage repair. Down the road, there is a page on hail damage roof repair in Belvidere, and we also work in Capron and Caledonia. Book your free inspection or call (815) 624-6278.
Poplar Grove Hail Damage FAQ
Are 20-year-old builder shingles more likely to be damaged by hail?
Yes. As shingles age they dry out and lose granules, so they crack and bruise more easily than new ones. We check every slope and photograph each hit so you can see what the storm did.
Why does one side of my Poplar Grove house have more hail damage?
Wind drives hail at an angle, and with open fields around the village there is little to slow it down. The slopes and walls facing the storm take most of the hits, which is why we inspect every side, not just the street side.
Can hail and a fallen limb damage the roof deck in Candlewick Lake?
Yes. A limb can crack decking under shingles that still look fine. When the attic is safe to reach, we look at the underside of the deck for soft spots, stains and daylight and photograph what we find.
Can hail-cracked vinyl siding be patched?
No. Filling or sealing a crack still leaves a broken piece of siding. We take out the damaged boards or sections, put new ones in, and find out whether your color and profile are still made.
Should I pick a Class 4 shingle when I replace my roof after hail?
If hail has already cost you shingles once, it deserves a look. Class 4 is the highest impact rating, and those shingles resist hail better than standard ones. At the free inspection we show GAF samples and talk through the choice.
