Our goal is to educate you on wind and hail damage to your roof and the long term effects for this type of property damage. Hail is a peril that threatens all of the southeastern region of the United States. Our country averages around 3,000 hailstorms yearly with documentation of these storms increasing each year.
How Does Hail Damage An Asphalt Roof Shingle?
Roof damage from hail approaches $1billion in the US each year. When hail hits an asphalt shingle, a dark area appears where the grains or granules of the shingle have been knocked off and the base of the shingle is exposed, this is sometimes called bruising. Recent hail impacts have a shiny look on an asphalt shingle because the base material has been freshly exposed, eventually the bruised area will become weathered. Hail damage to asphalt shingles includes severe granule loss, material removal at the edges of the shingles and penetration. Once this occurs, it could take two to three years to see the effects of hail to your roof resulting in leaks throughout your home. Some insurance companies only allow a specific period of time to file your claim on the effects of hail damage. Check your policy or call your insurance agent for the guidelines that govern your policy.
What are the Effects of Wind Damage?
Roofing materials are subject to damage from strong winds and flying debris. Generally, roofs are not designed to withstand winds of hurricane and tornado intensity. Thunderstorm winds come in many forms, sometimes from squall lines of thunderstorms and other times in the form of downburst winds. The most frequently encountered type of damaging straight-line wind in a thunderstorm is that associated with the leading edge of the rain-cooled outflow. Although most thunderstorm outflow winds range from 30 to 50 mph, on occasion these winds can exceed 100 mph. As shingles are ripped off of your roof by debris or wind, your home is vulnerable to leaks finding their way into your home.
Our professional staff can answer any questions you may have regarding storm damage and the effects to your roof. We offer free inspections for those who are not comfortable determining if there is sufficient storm damage to file a claim. Our representatives will meet with you on site to assist you with filing your claim with your insurance company and instructing you on what to do next. Since your homeowners policy covers storm damage, you insurance company will schedule an adjuster to inspect your roof and verify the damage. As a service to you, we provide our roof inspector to meet with your adjuster to assist and insure you are represented fairly and none of the damages are overlooked. Once you have been approved by your adjuster, we work closely with you throughout the replacement process.
