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10 THINGS HOMEOWNERS MUST KNOW BEFORE MAKING A HAIL/WIND CLAIM! (THAT COULD SAVE YOU THOUSANDS!)
WHY WE GIVE OUT THIS INFORMATION.
Here at Refresh Exteriors we believe in educating homeowners. Educated homeowners are better equipped to protect their homes from future damage. Given the correct tools a homeowner can properly assess an honest contractor from a scam artist. Being upfront about the process and how it works also builds trust between us and our future customers, so they know what to expect. We want to be a refreshing take on the roofing industry so your home can stay fresh with refresh. Please read on and feel free to reach out to us with any questions and we will give you a straight-forward answer.
HAIL DAMAGE VOIDS YOUR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY!
The manufacturer warranty only covers manufacturer defects from where the shingles were produced. The contractor who installed the roof can provide a workmanship warranty however, that too would be voided due to hail damage. The reason that hail voids these warranties is because it causes structural damage to the interior of the shingles. Compromising the shingles integrity, this is no fault of the manufacturer, installer, or homeowner. It is known as an act of god where no one is at fault. The images on this page are from the top shingle manufacturers.
WILL A HAIL CLAIM RAISE MY MONTHLY PREMIUM?
The short answer is no, it will not. A hail claim is what is known as an act of god. No one had any control over the storm hitting your home. So you nor anyone else can be held at fault. However, insurance companies are a business and are not going to lose money. They raise all the homes effected by the storms monthly premiums whether each homeowner makes a claim or not. Essentially making homeowners pay for each others roofs whether or not they have their own replaced. So if you see signs popping up around your neighborhood the damage is probably significant and you will see your bill increase in the coming months. Even if no one in your neighborhood makes a claim it could go up if it was in the storm swath.
WHAT SIZE HAIL CAN CAUSE DAMAGE?
Size of the hail is only one part of the equation. The most simple equation being (mass x velocity)/ time= Impact force.
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To determine mass, weigh the hail in grams.
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Velocity could be determined by wind speed and height it fell from. Velocity = square root( 2 x 9.8m/s x height(m)) make it easy and take wind speed into consideration.
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Time = square root( 2 x height(m)) / 9.8m/s
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A good rule of thumb the denser the harder it hits. An easy way to determine density is looking at how clear the hail is. The clearer the denser. If opaque then there are many air pockets decreasing
its ability to damage your shingles. Other things could affect like angle of impact, age of shingles, or composition of the shingles, but most engineers say anything over 1 inch has potential to cause damage that would compromise the integrity of the shingles.
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WHAT WIND SPEED CAN CAUSE DAMAGE?
Wind damage causes the shingle to lift from the roof causing a crease and risks an improper seal back down on the roof. Over time this crease will crack and tear until the shingle flies off. This leaves nails exposed to the elements where water can leak in by passing the ice & water membrane underneath.
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At what speed can shingles be damaged?
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45-57mph can remove loose shingles and tear down tree branches
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58-74mph can rip off shingles and even uproot trees
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75+mph can cause significant damage and even flip a vehicle​
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The edges of the roof line are the most susceptible to damage. Winds coming over the rakes and eaves actually double in speed which is why starter shingles surround the edge to give greater protection against these extremely high wind speeds.
WHAT IS COVERED UNDER A HAIL CLAIM?
Each policy is different and previous homeowners claims can effect what is covered, but in our experience the full exterior of the home is covered by hail.
1. Roof
2. Siding
3. Gutters
4. Window Screens, Shutters, Wraps
5. Storm Doors
6. Garage Doors
7. Connected fences and decks
8. other misc. items connected to the home
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Your contractor can help verify that everything damaged is looked at during the inspection and given a fair assessment. Not saying your insurance won’t do their best, but never hurts to have a second pair of eyes on things.
WHAT DOES INSURANCE LOOK FOR? (PART 1)
Insurance companies will either come out to your property themselves or contract out a licensed adjuster. In our experience, most insurers look for 6-10 hail strikes in a 100 square foot area on 3 compass facing slopes. They extrapolate this to the rest of the roof. They look for breaks in the siding, holes in window screens, dents in window wraps, and dents to the garage door. Gutters are notorious for pitting and denting due to hail as well. If a stained fence or deck is connected to the home they may look for freshly exposed wood. All of these items may be written up for repairs or replacement if sufficient damage is found. If they don’t take a photo, they can’t write it up in the claim. It’s important to make sure they over-document rather than under. You do not want to leave anything up for debate.
WHAT DOES INSURANCE LOOK FOR? (PART 2)
Insurance is also looking for things to disqualify your roof. These things can shut down your claim and disqualify you permanently from making another claim. They are old damage, lichen, and noticeable age .
Most people think damage is damage, but it’s not when it comes to roofs. Hail damage not dealt with will erode or decay, exposing the fiberglass matting inside. Lichen is roof mold! Circular green spots on your shingles. The roots create a pathway for water in the roof. If your roof is covered consider having your roof cleaned with a herbicide before making a claim.
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A roof nearing the end of its lifecycle will show a lack of granules and a shiny appearance. Displaced granules show hail damage, so no granules no damage. Shiny appearance will start around the edges of the shingles and make its way across the shingle. This is the fiberglass matting of the shingle that is being exposed after years of UV exposure.
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR HOME INSPECTED EITHER WAY.
With all of these different aspects you may be worried about having your home inspected by insurance. It is in your best interest to do so because it creates a track record for your home. If insurance finds no damage then the next storm they can’t claim is previous/old damage.
Having this track record has helped many homeowners in claim disputes when it comes to discrepencies between damage found.
WILL INSURANCE PAY TO REPLACE?
Every policy is different and we cannot say whether or not your policy covers full replacement. Please reach out to your provider for information on whether or not your policy is written for replacement or actual cash value.
What we can tell you is that your roof depreciates by 5% per year. Meaning that if your roof is 10 years old it has depreciated 50%. If your policy is written for only the actual cash value you may want to consider cashing in on your roof before it loses any further value.
If only partial damage is found then they may only pay for repairs. Repairs are likely to have a snowball effect in damaging other shingles. Also new shingles won’t be the same color as the existing ones due to sun fading. It is best to do a full replacement for the sake of the overall appearance and value of your home.
BEWARE OF "WE CAN GET YOUR ROOF 100% PAID FOR."
This statement is often misleading. Companies selling off this premise often do not get their roof 100% paid for. This false promise is why many people think of roofing contractors as a scam, besides out-of-state contractors who may not be licensed.
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No one can pay your deductible in any fashion. Under Minnesota law, doing so would be a FELONY for the contractor and the homeowner. This is considered insurance fraud. If the homeowner decides to do repairs themself or hire a different contractor, it is on the homeowner to prove to insurance it has been replaced. ANYTHING NOT REPLACED THAT THE HOMEOWNER HAS BEEN PAID FOR IS NO LONGER INSURED.
WHAT QUESTIONS YOU MUST ASK A CONTRACTOR BEFORE SIGNING.
These questions are a must when talking to a contractor. They may answer them without you having to ask but make sure you get answers. These qualifying questions will help you determine if they are a legitimate contractor and/or if they are experienced enough to handle your claim and construction project.
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1. What license do you have?
2. Where is your physical office?
3. What experience do you have?
4. What warranty do you offer?
5. What roof type do you specialize in?
6. Do you provide a written estimate?
7. What references do you have?
8. How do you protect my home from further damage?
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For more information on these questions please copy and paste the link
https://www.refreshexteriorsmidwest.com/post/hiring-roofing- contractor
HOMEOWNER'S RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)
Curious to find out what your ROI (Return On Investment) would be?
A new roof has 107% ROI according to the National Association of Realtors. A roof depreciates by 5% per year. Call your local permit office and ask when the last reroof permit was pulled on your home and for how many squares of roofing. Multiply the age by 5% and the squares by the going rate ($450-$650 per square).
Example:
10 Years x 5% = 50% Depreciation
15.38 Squares x $650 = $10,000 Cost to replace x 50% Depreciation = $5,000 Recoverable Value
$5,000 x 107% ROI = $5,350/$1000 Deductible = 535% ROI
Link to full report below!
CASE STUDIES AVAILABLE
You made it to the end! Congratulations! We have prepared a special offer which again is completely free! 2 case studies outlining different experiences from homeowners.
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Case Study 1: Follows a homeowner through the ideal process from initial contact to closing out the job. This is what every homeowner wants to experience from an insurance claim and contractor.
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Case Study 2: Follows a homeowner whose experience was not so fortunate. It outlines some common experiences from insurance claims and how the contractor will advocate for the homeowner.
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For this simply schedule a free, no-obligation inspection using the link.