Hail resistant is not hail proof.
Metal roof hail rating.
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.
Bridger steel recommends a minimum of a 26 gauge steel roofing panel to survive a harsh hail storm.
Metal roofs can handle hail extremely well even better than most other roof types.
A thicker metal panel will resist punctures and form stronger seams between panels.
Metal roofs are very tough and highly resistant to hail damage.
Here are the top hail resistant roofing options available for modern homes.
What are hail ratings impact resistance ratings.
The advantage of thicker metal panels in this case is that they are less prone to denting.
When it comes to protecting a roof the thickness of the metal is a key factor to resisting large sized hail stones.
Underwriters laboratories inc ul an independent for profit company has developed a series of laboratory test to measure how well roofing materials resist hail.
Hail damage to a roof is usually not the hail itself but the water that can seep through a roof damaged by hail.
Just choosing any metal roof will leave many owners with regrets after the next big hail storm.
Hail will not penetrate a metal roof.
The most effective way to minimize hail damage is to choose durable hail resistant roofing materials.
These tests are widely accepted by the roofing industry and the results are widely quoted in industry promotional materials.
Even a new asphalt shingle roof won t protect a home from the next hailstorm.
A 29 gauge metal panel can have the same impact resistance rating from underwriters laboratory ul as a 26 gauge panel.
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.
Despite this thicker lighter gauge panels can make sense for buildings in hail prone areas but not because of structural integrity.
In fact many metal roofing products have the highest impact resistance and hail rating class 4 granted by underwriters laboratory ul.
This has to do with the testing itself.
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.