08/18/2026
Blister or Hail?
At a glance they look alike, but there’s one tell that separates them.
A blister is the shingle wearing out from the inside. Trapped moisture or gas expands in the heat and pushes the surface up. When it pops, you’re left with a shallow spot—but the mat underneath stays flat and intact. Nothing hit it, so there’s no depression. It’s just surface granules gone.
A hail impact is an outside force. Ice strikes hard enough to bruise the shingle, so you get an actual dent—a low spot you can feel with your fingers, often soft or spongy when you press on it. The damage goes into the mat, not just across the top.
A word of caution: if you file a claim for what turns out to be blistering, there’s a real chance the adjuster inspects it and denies it—since wear and tear isn’t a covered event. That leaves you with a roof that may still need replacing, now on your own dime. This is exactly why it pays to have an experienced contractor look first and identify the true cause before a claim ever gets filed.
Think your roof took a hit? Give us a call for a free inspection.
