Metal Roof Hail Rating

It s important to remember that no roof is 100 immune to the damaging effects of an intense storm or some other catastrophic event.

Metal roof hail rating.

Metal roofs are very tough and highly resistant to hail damage. This has to do with the testing itself. In fact many metal roofing products have the highest impact resistance and hail rating class 4 granted by underwriters laboratory ul. What are hail ratings impact resistance ratings.

Underwriters laboratories inc ul an independent for profit company has developed a series of laboratory test to measure how well roofing materials resist hail. Here are the top hail resistant roofing options available for modern homes. Even a new asphalt shingle roof won t protect a home from the next hailstorm. Hail resistant is not hail proof.

The advantage of thicker metal panels in this case is that they are less prone to denting. A 29 gauge metal panel can have the same impact resistance rating from underwriters laboratory ul as a 26 gauge panel. Hail damage to a roof is usually not the hail itself but the water that can seep through a roof damaged by hail. Metal roofs can be made from a variety of metals and alloys including galvanized steel hot dip zinc galvanized g 90 and g 60 steel a less expensive thinner gauge steel often used in low end lower cost corrugated and ribbed metal panels galvalume steel zinc and aluminum coated steel a more expensive and longer lasting coating compared to g 90 galvanized steel stone coated.

After performing the test roofing manufacturers would be scored based on the resistance of the material getting a rating from 1 least hail resistant to 4 most hail resistant. Even in extreme weather situations damage to a metal roof will take the form of small dents but not puncture break or tear the roof. Metal roofing has always been known as one of the toughest materials available to use for a roof and most metal roofing panels carry class 3 or 4 ratings. Despite this thicker lighter gauge panels can make sense for buildings in hail prone areas but not because of structural integrity.

Bridger steel recommends a minimum of a 26 gauge steel roofing panel to survive a harsh hail storm. These tests are widely accepted by the roofing industry and the results are widely quoted in industry promotional materials. Summarizing the result we would be looking at for a class 3 roof is earned if the sample does not crack when hit twice in the same spot by a 1 75 inch diameter steel ball. When it comes to protecting a roof the thickness of the metal is a key factor to resisting large sized hail stones.

A thicker metal panel will resist punctures and form stronger seams between panels. Hail will not penetrate a metal roof.