What To Do After A Hailstorm: Call A Hail Damage Contractor Or The Insurance Company For Inspection First
There are an average of four hailstorms per year in the Midwesterner, which means theres a good chance that you rarely have to think about what to do after one of these storms. For some homeowners, their first thought is that they pay an insurance premium every month, so they call their insurance agent first. At VIS Exterior, we know the best option is to before you initiate an insurance claim.
We offer a free consultation following storms that cause hail damage, so there is no risk of bringing us out to assist. After taking the initial steps of surveying the damage from the ground, your next step should be to contact us. Well take our findings directly to the insurance company and make sure everything you should be covered for in your policy is indeed covered.
From your roof to your siding, when a big storm comes through, well look over the entire surface area of your home and seek out even the tiniest damages. Should your home require repair or replacement of either the siding or the roofing, well meet your insurance adjustor when they do their inspection to ensure theyre seeing everything we found. With VIS Exterior on your side, you skip all the stress and leave the steps in the process up to us.
How To Spot Hail Damage On Your Roof
Its hard to see if hails done damage to your roof from your lawn, driveway or the street, but unless youre a professional, you should stay off of your roof especially after a storm. Weve gathered some tips that can help you figure out from the safety of the ground if your roof took on hail damage.
What To Do When You Find Damage
Before we get to the list, lets consider what youll need to do if you find damage on your roof. That way youll already be prepared.
If your shingles are damaged, you have a couple options. First, you can just leave it. Second, you can get the damage repaired.
Obviously, youll want to go with option two. If you do find damage, determine if it is just cosmetic or if its a functional problem. You may need a professional to do this.
An insurance adjuster will be sent to your home. Make sure he or she is accompanied by a professional contractor. Insurance companies will try to not cover replacing your roof, so having a professional there will help keep them straight.
Alright, now that you know what to do, on to the list!
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Heres What Hail Damage Looks Like
Hail impacts to your roof often cause damage, where you can spot bruises on the shingles and a significant loss to your roofs granules. The damage can look like it misaligned your shingles or just left a few marks.
There are several easy ways to recognize the damage to your roof caused by hail. Most insurers categorize the damage as either functional or cosmetic in nature as they address it.
Functional damage affects the performance of your roof or its structure.
The following constitute visible roof hail damage:
- Cracks on the shingles
- Dents/ impact marks on the roof
Keep Track Of The Claim
After filing a claim, you need to stay involved until its paid and your home is restored. Maintain regular contact with the insurance adjuster and contractor. Take notes every time you speak with an insurance representative. If you dont understand something about the process, get answers from the insurance company. Save receipts for damage-related expenses, for which the insurer may offer reimbursement. Continue to inspect your home for subsequent damage, such as leaks or mold caused by the initial hail damage.
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Can Hail Damage To A Roof Be Repaired
Depending on the extent of the damage and the condition of your roof, repairing hail damage to shingles can be as simple as replacing a few shingles or as extensive as replacing the entire roof. The variety of options available for hail storm repairs is the reason why it is best to have a professional inspect the roof. They can help determine the severity of the damage and the kind of roof repairs it will need. You may not need repairs for a few minor instances of dents on the shingles or the gutters. However, more severe damage to the roof will need immediate attention to prevent any further damage to your house.
If you suspect your roof is damaged, call a professional roofing contractor to examine your roof and determine the extent of the damage. The professionals are experts in the field and will examine your roofing materials, roof flashings, gutters, and every area of your roof. They will determine the level of roofing damage and make recommendations on what your next step should be.
What Is Hail And How It Is Formed
In simple terms, hail is pellets of frozen rain that falls in showers. Hail can cause massive damage to buildings, homes, and vehicles. When the temperature falls below freezing point, a hailstone forms around a particle of dust. The wind carries it high into the storm and causes the nascent to quickly freeze and grow in size. It then picks up more moisture from the water vapor and the rain while it is tossed lower into the atmosphere. Here, it is again snatched into the storm and freezes again. As the hail circles back the fourth due to the powerful storm winds, the hailstone grows in size. When it becomes quite heavy, it falls to the ground causing damage to homes and vehicles.
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How To Tell If Your Roof Has Hail Damage
Discovering that your roof has hail damage is never fun. Each year, hail stormslead to billions of dollars of damage to homes and other property in the United States alone. Some areas in the United States are more prone to hail storms than others, but it can still impact homes anywhere. Roofs are particularly vulnerable to hail damage but this damage can often go unnoticed.
Its hard to see the damage hail causes to your roof from the ground so you may not even know that its there. If there was recently a hail storm in your area and youre wondering whether your roof sustained hail damage, heres how you can tell:
When Is Hail Damaged Not Covered
While a roof may appear hail damaged, another culprit may be to blame, particularly neglect. Sunlight and harsh weather can make shingles brittle, making them appear damaged. Or the shingles may begin to blister, crack, or show signs of granule loss due to age. These types of damages are considered normal wear and tear, which insurers typically dont cover.
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Does Insurance Cover Roof Hail Damage
Most often, the answer is YES. To begin a claim, youll need to contact your insurance company and let them know that you suspect hail damage . Your next step is to call a professional roofing contractor like Allstate. The first thing well do is schedule your no-obligation roof inspection.
Once onsite, our team will conduct a thorough review of your home to look for hail damage or other roof damage. A complete roof inspection includes an assessment of your shingles , your entire roof, from protective under layer to top layer, metal fascia trim, roof vents, gutters, and more. Even if you dont see obvious damage, our team will cover every inch of your home to ensure nothing gets missed.
Next, youll get a full report that outlines anything we documented, from minor damage and signs of normal wear to major hail, leaks, dented gutters, missing roof shingles, etc. We work regularly with a homeowners insurance company so we understand exactly what the insurance company expects to see to support an insurance claim. Our expert roofers have a trained eye to capture any signs of hail damage or concern.
Once your claim has been opened, well work with your appointed insurance agent to keep them apprised throughout the repair or replacement process. Insurance policies are written to limit the opportunity to commit fraud, so by working together with your insurance company throughout any insurance claims, we add peace of mind for everyone and act as a resource along the way.
How Can I Navigate Roof Storm Damage
Now that you know what storm damage looks like, you should have a pretty good idea of what sort of damage you may have. The next step is treating your roof. You should first start by calling a professional roofing company, and setting up an inspection with one of their contractors.
Your contractor will conduct a thorough walk-through and figure out the extent of your damage. From there, youll be given a repair estimate, and before you know it, your storm damage will be fixed before your very eyes!
If youre ready to take the plunge and get your storm-damaged roof repaired, drop RoofCrafters a line on our contact page. As soon as you submit your form, one of our friendly experts will give you a call to set up a time for your inspection. If youre not quite sure if you need an inspection just yet, or have a few remaining questions, feel free to browse the extensive resources in our learning center.
At RoofCrafters, our mission is to provide job opportunities for others to thrive and grow while making a meaningful impact within our communities.
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How To Spot Hail Damage: Roof Inspection Guide
Identifying hail destruction in your surroundings is pretty straightforward and obvious. However, roof damage can be harder to spot and not always the most visible, since it may not be seen from just looking at the roof from the ground up.
Dont wait until your roof deterioration becomes obvious and you see water damage inside the home to get a roof repair. Its important to keep your roof in the best condition to avoid structural decay.
Identifying three major signs of hail damage:
If youre still unsure of hail damage after self-inspection, dont hesitate to book a roofing inspection. Better to be safe and proactive to prevent more costly damage.
East Texas Hail Statistics
A recent report by analytics firm Verisk showed Texas has the highest estimated number of properties affected by hail. The nationwide study found 1.3 million homes were damaged by hail in the preceding 12 months.
The website Interactive Hail Maps reports hail strikes within 10 miles of a citys center. In 2018, the largest hail reported in Tyler was 1.75 inches in diameter. Zip code 75703 experienced the highest number of damaging hail reports.
According to their site, so far this year Tyler experienced 29 reports of on-the-ground hail. Doppler radar detected hail in the area on 48 occasions. Whitehouse, Lindale, Bullard Brownsboro have also experienced severe weather containing hail.
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Metal Roof Hail Damage
Shingles can be tricky when it comes to spotting hail damage, but they’re not the only type of roof out there. You have others like wooden shake, clay, slate and metal roofing.
Wood shingles will split right down the middle after being struck by hail. Clay & slate roofing will have cracks and/or gouges, and metal roofing will have impact dents like we saw on the gutters at the beginning.
Metal roofing is one of the easiest to spot for hail damage.
Here are some examples of hail damage on a metal roof.
What Size Hail Will Damage A Roof
If you recently had a hail storm in your area but only saw very small hailstones, you might be assuming that everything is fine. Unfortunately, even relatively small hail can cause damage to your home, including your roof.
Hail thats about one inch in diameter or smaller likely wont cause much damage outside. With this size of hail, you might notice some damage to your plants but probably nothing else.
Hail any larger than that, though, can start to cause damage to your roof and other surfaces. Once the hail reaches about 1.5 inches in diameter , it can lead to severe roof damage.
If the hail is even larger, 1.75 inches in diameter , then it can start to cause significant damage to vehicles parked outside and buildings.
Another relevant factor beyond size in how much damage the hail causes is the wind speed. Hail storms are often accompanied by severe winds which add to the damage.
Never assume that theres no damage to your home just because the hail looked small. Go through the steps of looking for roof damage any time you have a major hail storm in your area.
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Question: Phoenix Hail Storm
There was a hail storm in Phoenix, AZ, in October 2010. I was out of the country at the time. I have returned in April 2012. I am in the process of determining if there were hail damage on my roof currently.
The insurance inspector claim there was no hail damage on the roof except on the AC condenser and some of the window screen. The inspector claimed the damages seen on the roof were mainly due to weather and acid from the bird dropping. Is is possible for me to send some photos to you to obtain your opinion? Thank you in advance for your time and help in this matter. PSF Chan 5/24/12
Reply:
Bird droppings are not likely to produce a shingle scouring / granule loss pattern that would in the slightest be mistaken for hail damage. Even if we buy the acid damage claim the birds would have to poop uniformly over an entire roof and the effect would have to be granule loss without remnants of guano.
Id like to see some sharp photos both of the whole roof, all slopes, and of the slope where the damage seems apparent to you, and sharp close ups of the shingle damage area details. Use the CONTACT US link found on any website page.
Whats The Process For Filing A Claim For Hail Damage To Your Roof
After reading this article, you now know how long you have to file a claim, what hail damage looks like, and how to spot it safely from the ground. The first thing you need to do is contact your insurance company if you think your roof has hail damage.
But before you do, just know that the insurance claim process is long, confusing, and sometimes frustrating. Its even more overwhelming if youve never been through it before.
Because of this, its important to understand the insurance journey you’re about to embark on. Thats why I wrote another article breaking down the insurance claim process to help homeowners that are in your exact shoes.
The team at Bill Ragan Roofing has guided thousands of homeowners in Nashville and surrounding Middle Tennessee areas since 1990. We work with you and your insurance policy to get your hail-damaged roof taken care of.
Check out Homeowners insurance: The process to replace a storm damaged roof to learn what you need to know about filing a hail damage claim.
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Is It Necessary To Fix Roof Hail Damage
While hail damage to your roof may not seem like a big deal, it can actually lead to serious problems down the road. If left unrepaired, hail damage can cause your shingles to deteriorate and even fall off your roof. This can then lead to leaks and water damage inside your home. So, its important to have any hail damage to your roof repaired as soon as possible.
Consider Filing An Insurance Claim
Most insurance companies require homeowners to file an insurance claim within one year after finding out that their roof has taken hail damage. Therefore, it is recommended that you get your roof inspected as soon as possible if you suspect hail roof damage. You will probably want enough time to review damage assessments as well as consider a different option for roof repairs
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How To Repair A Hail Damaged Roof
- If you suspect hail damage following a storm, keeping safety in mind and using the guidelines listed above, you should inspect your roof as soon as possible.
- If you dont have the right safety gear or experience to carry out a roof inspection, or you think the hail damage repairs could be significant, then contact a professional roofing company like AmeriPro Roofing for a free, no-obligation roof inspection.
- Its important to know that even a small patch of exposed asphalt begins to deteriorate from UV radiation almost immediately, potentially leading to leaks and costly water damage at a time when it could be too late to file an insurance claim.*
- Whether you carry out the inspection yourself or you use a professional roofing company to inspect your roof, the next step is to file a claim with your homeowners insurance company.*
- One of the benefits of working with a professional roofing company like AmeriPro Roofingfor your hail damage roof repairs, is you have access to our team of experts who will help you navigate the roof repair claim process.*
- Our team of roofing experts knows exactly what information insurance companies typically need and assist homeowners in getting a full and fair settlement for damages sustained as a result of hail or severe storms.
*AmeriPro Roofing is a Nationally Certified General Contractor. We do not offer or contract public adjusting services. We work for you to restore your home.
