18December 2019
Hailstorms happen to be the most common destructive weather condition that can occur frequently in some parts of the world. This is the time when the roof of the house becomes very vulnerable to get hit by hail and ultimately gets damaged.
Hail is a type of rain in which balls of ice called hailstones fall from the sky. When updrafts lift upwards, the water droplets get present at the bottom of the clouds. Now, as they ascend the freezing temperature causes the droplets to turn into tiny hailstones.
Now, as the updrafts push the hailstones even higher, the droplets freeze onto them, which creates larger hailstones. In the end, when these hailstones become too heavy for the updrafts they fall in the form of hail.
As these hails are large and heavy as a golf ball, it has enough potential to easily damage your property, especially roofs. There are various factors that can determine the damage that may occur on the roof. Some of those factors are the size of hail, wind speed, the direction of the wind, type of material in your roof, age of the material, etc.
Now, let us see:
How do you tell if you have hail damage on your roof?
A hailstorm that might have lasted for only 15 minutes can cause significant damage over time. Your roof should be inspected after the hailstorm because even minor damage made to your roof may lead to much bigger problems in the future.
Because when hail hits the shingled roof, it loosens the granules which are the protective layer of your shingle.
It is very important to recognize the signs of hail damage early on before it causes complications or consequences. Here are some signs that will help you to figure out whether or not your roof has hail damage or not.
Loss of granuleRandom detectible damages Split in shingle (Wood)Dents on vents, chimneys, etc. Metal roofs can be easily diagnosed with hail damage.
What size hail will damage a roof?
On an average scale, it takes 1 inch or above one-inch diameter hailstone to damage a roof that has a common asphalt shingle installation. For comparison here are some common items that could give you a reference.
Golf ball – 1 inches diameterPea – ¼ inch in diameterSoftball – 4 inches diameterPenny – inch in diameter – above this measurement, hailstones are considered severe
How do I claim hail damage on my roof?
When the roof is damaged by the hail and if your roof is insured by some policy then it is the claim situation.
Let us talk about who is going to be involved in this situation –
1: You/ Owner of the house
The homeowner will be involved to make the decisions and figuring out how to solve the problems.
2: Roofer
The contractor or the roofer is going to take care of your roof and actually do the work to fix your roof.
3: Insurance adjuster
This is the individual who will represent the insurance company.
The process –
1. Call a roofer
Roofers are the specialist who will tell you what exact damage you are actually dealing with. It is very important for you to use the best roofers near me’ option in your search engine.
Call a well-known local and reliable roofer to have them take a look at the situation. The roofer will give you an estimate and provide you with two things, one- your roof needs a few shingles repairing or second – your roof needs total replacement.
2. Start the claim
Once your roofer provides you with information on your roof’s status you can call your insurance company. Then they will send you an insurance adjuster who will take a look at the situation themselves.
3. Claim the insurance
Once the insurance adjuster finishes his inspection he will give you the final reports and will tell you whether the roof damages are under their policy or not. If they permit then you can claim the insurance.
Final Words
Once the damage is done you cannot do anything but to have it repaired. So, in that case, you need to find a roofer who will not only help in estimating the damages but will also stand by your side to help you claim the insurance from the insurance company.
And if you are looking for a roof leak repair NJ, you have to definitely check out Tahughes who are experts in delivering all sorts of work related to the roof.
Call us now at (856) 845-8505 or reach out via mail – Info@tahughes.com for Professional Residential & Commercial roofing services in New Jersey.