Did the last storm leave your siding with cracks or dents you can’t quite explain? Fort Collins Siding Contractors handles hail damage siding repair in Fort Collins and the towns around it. We know how stressful that first look at a damaged wall can be.
Fort Collins has more than 100 years of hail records. Hail falls a few days in most years, mostly in May and June, and usually lasts minutes. Even a short storm can crack and hole vinyl, dent panels and chip fiber cement.
Here’s what we look for, and what to do next.
What Hail Does to Each Siding Material
Hail doesn’t hit every material the same way. Knowing what to look for helps you spot damage before water finds it.
- Vinyl. Hail impact cracks and holes vinyl. A crack can start small and run along the panel.
- Aluminum and steel. Metal panels dent rather than crack. Dents show most in low sun, and a dented panel is replaced rather than pushed back flat.
- Fiber cement. Hail can chip the face and corners of fiber cement boards, breaking the paint and exposing the board underneath.
- Wood and engineered wood. Hail dents the surface and can split paint or stain, leaving the wood open to water.
Hail size changes the picture too. Bigger stones do more to every material, and vinyl shows it first.
| Hail size | Diameter | What it can do to siding |
|---|---|---|
| Pea | 1/4 inch | Rarely causes structural damage, but can mark paint and soft metals |
| Quarter | 1 inch | Begins to crack vinyl and damage window screens |
| Half dollar | 1.25 inches | Can puncture vinyl |
| Golf ball | 1.75 inches | Significant damage to siding and gutters |
The storm-facing walls take the most damage, but wind can push hail sideways onto any wall. Window screens and trim, soffit and fascia often take hits at the same time, so we check them on every hail estimate.
Repair or Re-Side After Hail
We repair the damaged pieces when the rest of the wall is sound, using the same matching and blending we use on any siding repair. When the damage runs across whole walls, a re-side usually makes more sense, and our siding replacement page walks through what that involves and the materials you can choose.
Size gives you a rough clue. The bigger the stones, the more likely the damage runs across whole walls, and that’s when a re-side comes up.
| Situation | Usual answer |
|---|---|
| A few cracked or dented pieces, rest of the wall sound | Repair |
| Damage spread across whole walls | Re-side |
If your house has vinyl and you’re weighing new vinyl against something else, the vinyl siding page explains the Fort Collins permit rule that comes with new vinyl.
Working Alongside Your Insurance Claim
If you file an insurance claim, we work alongside it but don’t handle it. We can give you a written scope of the damage we found and the work it calls for. What’s covered is up to your homeowner’s policy and your insurance company.
The claim itself stays between you and your insurance company. A few simple records help on our side too:
- Photograph every damaged wall, plus screens, trim, soffit and fascia.
- Write down the date of the storm.
- Ask for the written scope before you decide between repair and re-side.
Why Not to Wait on Hail Cracks
A hail crack is an open seam. Fort Collins freezes at night and thaws by afternoon for a good part of the year, and water that gets into a crack can freeze and open it further. Small hail damage fixed early stays a small repair.
Ready for hail damage siding repair in Fort Collins? Send the estimate form, and we’ll look over your siding, trim, soffit and fascia and give you a clear scope of what the storm did.
