Does Your Roof Have Damage?

It is not always easy to tell if you have hail damage from the ground. In fact, to the untrained eye hail damage may not be apparent on your property/business.  It ultimately takes a trained roofing professional to determine the extent of your damage. Hail damage seems harmless and may look harmless, however, do not be fooled. Over time, it can cause significant issues with your roof and leaks to start coming through your walls.  That’s why we recommend if you suspect hail damage, you should have your roof looked at immediately.

Commonly Asked Questions

What does hail do to a Roof?

Shingles are designed so that the granules block the UV of the sun and protect the asphalt underlayment. As the shingles age the granules fall off over time. As the asphalt is exposed to UV, it dries out and the shingle gets a “potato chip” appearance as the corners start to curl up. A shingle at the extreme end of its life is bubbled in appearance and is brittle to the touch. A 25-year shingle is warranteed by the manufacturer to have a useful life, under optimal ventilation conditions, of 25 years. Hail does several things:

1. Accelerates granule loss.
2. Accelerates shingle aging.
3. Voids manufacturer’s warranty.
4. Leads to other associated problems.

Do I need to replace the my roof right away?

The insidious nature of hail damage is that it may pose no immediate threat to the structural integrity of the roof. However, many insurance companies have a “statute of limitations” of how long a hail claim is viable. If you have experienced a loss such as hail damage, it is prudent to take care of the problem in a timely manner before it leads to other associated problems!

What does a 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.

Why Would my insurance company pay for a roof replacement?

The purpose of property insurance is to protect the property owner 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 5-10 year useful life span. Your insurance company will compensate you for your loss and replace your roof.

In my adjustment, my insurance company deducted some money for depreciation, am I responsible for that portion?

Different insurance companies call the amount that they hold back different things. Some call it depreciation; other companies may show it as a dump and removal fee. What it represents is the amount of money the company will hold back until they receive a signed contract from you and a contractor for the work. When they receive a signed contract, you will receive another check for the amount they have held back, less your deductible.

My insurance adjuster said there was no hail damage on their first inspection.  I asked my Village Construction representative to call my adjuster and request a re-inspection.  On the re-inspection the adjuster concluded that there was hail damage and “totaled” the roof.  Why such a dramatic turn around?

There are many different reasons that this happens so often. Sometimes adjusters get to a roof too soon after the actual damage and the hits haven’t had a chance to weather yet. Sometimes the adjusters are inexperienced. The best results for the benefit of you as the property owner will be obtained when an experienced roofer walks through the inspection with your insurance adjuster. Your Village Representative can then point out any damage that we see to your insurance adjuster.  We have settled numerous hail claims after they have been previously turned down once.