What does hail do to a roof?
“Hailstones damage asphalt roof shingles by knocking their granular covering loose, once enough granules are knocked off, the shingles’ underlying asphalt is exposed. then sunlight deteriorates the asphalt and water enters the house.”- Texas A&M engineering professor, Dr. Milton Smith. Shingles are designed so that the granules block the UV of the sun and protect the asphalt underlayment. When a hailstone drops from 40-50,000 ft. it can be traveling at close to 100mph! When it impacts your roof it displaces all the kinetic energy it’s built up and explodes into your shingle leaving a small crater and “blast” area. The Granules in this area lose adhesion and are removed immediately by impact or will fall off over the next couple of years. As the asphalt backing is exposed to the UV from the sun, it dries out and the shingle develops a crack or hole in that area and eventually fails.

Do I need to get my roof replaced right away?
The insidious nature of hail damage is that it may pose no immediate threat to the structural integrity of the roof. However, insurance companies have a “statute of limitations” of how long a hail claim is viable, 3 months for some and up to 1 year for others. If you have experienced a loss such as hail damage it is prudent to take care of the problem in a timely manner before the claim period expires and before it leads to other associated problems.

What does hail hit look like?
A hail hit on a shingle looks like a “bruise” or a dark spot where the granules on the shingle have been knocked off and the asphalt underlayment and sometimes the fiberglass mat is exposed. New hail hits will have a shiny appearance because the asphalt has been freshly exposed and has not had time to weather to a dull color. Homeowners should take particular care when inspecting roofs for hail damage. It can be dangerous on any roof, loose gravel or wet conditions can cause you to slide off. In some cases, damage may not be immediately obvious, The granules can be loosened by hail stone impacts and not come completely off for months or years, but later could result in the development of roof leaks, and these could cause damage that is more extensive at a later time.

Dents in aluminum siding, gutters, window capping or broken vinyl constitutes as damage and is covered under your policy for replacement.

Who do I call first?
It’s important to have your roof inspected by a damage expert before you call your insurance company, for a few reasons. 1. We can verify if you have damage before taking up their time and also keeping you from having to climb up on your roof to look for damage. 2. Some adjusters have little or no roofing experience and often miss things needed for repairs or miss the damage. 3.We meet at the house with the adjuster to help measure and point out the damage we have observed. If we are not present its possible your claim may be denied or underpaid.

What’s your fee for this service?
$0.00, well then what’s in it for us you may ask. The insurance company will pay for us to complete the repairs and we will agree to do the work for what the insurance company pays. If they don’t approve the repairs you are not obligated to us in any way, the only way we do work on your home is if the insurance company approves and pays for the work.

What’s in it for me?
A new roof, siding or both for at worst the cost of your deductible, often times there is other collateral damage around your property we will help you recover the money for to help offset your deductible or even put some money back in your pocket. If you have damage, we can make the repairs, if you don’t, you can have peace of mind knowing that you don’t have anything to worry about. Wouldn’t you want to know if you did have damage?

Will my rates increase or will I be dropped if I file a claim?
No, your rates will increase whether you file or not, they can only raise rates by class/geographic region not on you individually. You were not responsible for the hail damage on your roof and siding, its not like you drove your car into your roof, it was an act of God, which you can’t be dropped for. The purpose of home owner’s insurance is to protect homeowners against losses in their property’s value due to damage that is beyond their control. If you have hail damage, you have experienced a financial loss in that your original investment of a 25-year roof (for example) has now been reduced to a 3 year useful life span. Your insurance company will compensate you for your loss and we will replace your roof with the funds received.