Storm season has arrived. Do you know what to look for after a catastrophic hail or wind storm hits your area? Here are a few tips to help you decide to call Chris Miller Roofing for a Free Property Inspection:
WIND DAMAGE:
Wind Damage is the most obvious type of damage to identify, and typically is an excellent indicator of storm damage.
MISSING SHINGLES: If you see missing shingles on your roof, it’s an obvious indicator that you have storm damage.
ROOF MATERIAL ON THE GROUND: Finding full or partial shingle or roofing pieces on the ground may indicate parts of your roof have been blown off by wind, even if you can’t see it from the ground!
BLOWN OFF EXTERIOR COMPONENTS: Blown off fascia, siding, gutters or other exterior components are all indicators of wind damage also.
HAIL STORM DAMAGE:
Hail Storm Damage is quite a bit more difficult to identify than wind damage. This is mainly because wind damage displaces exterior components of the home, while hail simply impacts those components, affecting the lifespan, warranty, and functionality of the exterior components (Shingle, Siding, Gutters, etc.). Supporting evidence of hail damage, or collateral damage as it is referred to, can be found all around your property. Here are some things to look for:
HAIL DAMAGE TO YOUR CAR: Hail dings on your car. This may seem like an odd place to look for evidence of hail damage to your home, but it’s actually one of the most effective and obvious. In order for hail to damage most cars, the hail must be a certain size and density. That size and density reflected in the hail damage to your car, would most likely indicate the hail was large enough to damage your roof, as well. That is, assuming your car was at your home or property, at the time of the catastrophic event.
SOFT METAL DAMAGE: Hail dimples on gutters, downspouts, fascia, window wraps and other soft metal accessories on your home (Aluminum, copper, etc.). Soft metal accessories are easier to damage than other exterior components, and offer insight in to hail large the hail was at your property during the storm. Larger hail hits to your soft metals certainly warrant further inspection of the roof and property.
A/C FIN DAMAGE: Hail indentations to the fins on your A/C unit. Older A/C units and window A/C units typically have exposed A/C fins. If hail came in from the direction the A/C unit faces, the A/C fins on the unit would be peppered with indentations from hail impacts. This is additional collateral damage, or supporting evidence, and further support the decision to call for a property inspections from one of our Haag Engineering Certified Inspectors.
GRANULE LOSS: Massive granule loss from your shingles is a fair indicator of hail damage to your property. You may notice grains of asphalt rock on your back deck, or driveway, or coming out of your downspouts after a storm. Shingles are designed to lose granules during inclement weather, but when an abundance of granules comes off during a weather event, it’s better to be safe and have your roof inspected for further insight.
WINDOW SCREENS: Hail damage to your window screens. Most window screens have a certain pliability to them and can withstand a certain amount of debris impact. But when a hail stone hits your screens at a certain velocity, it will puncture your screen and leave it peppered with holes. You may only see damage to your screens on certain sides of your house, depending on the direction the storm traveled and the amount of blowing winds.
NEIGHBORITIS: Your neighbors are all getting new roofs! If you step out your front door one morning, or come home from work one evening and see your neighbors getting a new roof, or have solicitors knocking on your door to sell you the promise of a new roof, politely tell them, “No thank you!” Then call your trusted insurance restoration specialists at Chris Miller Roofing for a complete property assessment and inspection. Neighboritis, as we affectionately call this phenomena, is typically the largest influence on a homeowner’s decision to get their roof inspected, and eventually file an insurance claim. It’s hard to see ALL your neighbors getting new roofs and think that you wouldn’t get approved either.
ALL of these tips, on what to look for, will help you decide whether or not to have your property inspected. Not all of these must be found to warrant calling for an inspection, but even finding one is an excellent reason to have your home looked at. Besides, it’s FREE!
Once a certified hail and wind inspector looks at your property, we will show you pictures of any damage we found, and give you an honest assessment of the damage to your property. If one of our inspectors, or sales representatives finds sufficient damage to warrant filing a claim, he or she will then instruct you on how to proceed. If one of our inspectors DOESN’T find sufficient damage to file a claim, he or she will explain their assessment to you and how to best move forward with any repairs or maintenance outside of an insurance claim. We wouldn’t want anyone to waste our time with filing a needless insurance claim, and we certainly won’t waste yours!
Contact Chris Miller Roofing today to schedule your free Hail Storm Damage Inspection.