Spring thunderstorms can pack an extra punch when hailstones come crashing down on roofs, potentially causing significant damage. Your roof is your home's first line of defense against weather, and impact-resistant shingles and other roofing accessories are one of the smartest ways to protect your home from damage during severe storms.
Discover more about how shingles earn their impact-resistant rating, the benefits of this rating, and how to help protect your home with quality roofing products and maintenance strategies.
What Impact Resistance Ratings Mean for Your Home
Roofing manufacturers typically work with third-party testing facilities, like Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Solutions, to test, inspect, and validate the performance of their products. UL Solutions has developed a rating system, known as UL 2218, that ranks the hail resistance of roofing products, with Class 4 being the highest impact resistance rating available. To arrive at a designated ranking, UL Solutions replicates hail impact by dropping steel balls onto the shingles from varying heights.
GAF Senior Product Manager Dan Witte explains that achieving impact resistance means "equipping a full system for your roof that is more durable, more flexible, and rated by the UL 2218 test with a Class 3 or 4 rating. This gives the roof a much greater chance to withstand hail impacts in locations where there are severe storms, especially in the central parts of the country that are more prone to severe storms and hail."
What's the secret to making one shingle better able to withstand impacts than another? As an example, Witte shares that GAF uses a proprietary SBS-modified asphalt: "Very simply put, it's a proprietary formula where we add a rubberized polymer to the asphalt, and what that gives you is a shingle with much more flexibility, durability, and better performance in extreme weather."
Benefits of Impact-Resistant Shingles and Accessories
In addition to their ability to withstand larger hailstones and wind-driven debris, impact-resistant shingles bring other benefits that can make them well worth the investment.
For example, with more than 5,000 hail events in the United States in 2024 alone, more insurance companies are offering discounts to homeowners who choose roofing materials that will stand up to hail. Many leading insurance companies partnered with UL Solutions and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety to test and certify roofing materials that meet the stringent standards required to earn Class 4 hail resistance.
GAF offers two lines of shingles that meet these standards and deliver Class 4 impact resistance: Timberline® ArmorShield II and Grand Sequoia® ArmorShield. The durability of these shingles and their respective accessories also means that, in general, their long-term resilience and performance will be better than non-rated shingles.
Witte explains that your home's roof is a system of parts that work together for optimal protection. In addition to considering hail-resistant shingles, it's important to think about the accessories that make up the other parts of your roofing system. "One of the most vulnerable parts of the roof system is the ridge and hip areas where different roof planes meet, and it's capped by a ridge cap shingle," says Witte. "GAF has two options—TimberCrest® and Seal-A-Ridge® AS—that both meet Class 4, and they're made with SBS-modified asphalt just like we use on the shingles."
Finally, equipping your home with an impact-resistant roofing system can add value to your home if you're planning to sell.
Choosing the Right Shingles for Your Home
When you're investing in a new roof for your home, you have some decisions to make. Your first consideration is geography. Where is your home located? If you live in one of the top hail states in the United States, impact-resistant shingles should be at the top of your priority list.
Aesthetics may also be an important consideration. You'll want to choose a style and color that complements your home's overall visual appeal. Witte shares that GAF offers impact-resistant shingles in the seven most popular colors, providing enough options to match any home's style with ease.
Beyond color, Witte says that impact-resistant shingles won't compromise curb appeal. "The technology is inside the shingle; it won't look any different than a standard architectural shingle, so you're not limited in any way with aesthetics."
Other Ways to Prepare for Hail Season
In addition to furnishing your roof with impact-resistant shingles and accessories, you can prepare for the next hailstorm and help prevent damage to your roof in other ways. For example, regular maintenance in the spring and fall can help your roof stay ready for storm season. Clearing out your gutters and having your contractor inspect vulnerable areas of the roof and make repairs as needed can also help your roof perform better when subject to spring and summer storms.
Many roofing contractors can provide inspections for your home's siding, windows, and doors, as well. To get more information on impact-resistant shingles and learn other ways to protect your home during hail season and beyond, contact a GAF-certified* contractor today.
*Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties, which require the use of a minimum amount of GAF products. Your dealings with a Contractor, and any services they provide to you, are subject to the GAF Contractor Terms of Use.
