It may not capture your attention, fear or fascination like a hurricane or tornado outbreak, but hail is consistently one of the most damaging weather phenomena every year. According to Weather.com, hail damage costs homeowners and insurers BILLIONS of dollars each year. Homeowners knowing how to spot hail damage and getting a hail damage inspection has never been more critical.
What a Hailstorm Can Do To Your Home
As a general rule of thumb, damage to roof shingles can occur with hail as small as quarter-size (1-inch diameter). High winds only worsen the damage potential of hail damage, since it can cause it to fall faster and blow in different directions. The speed of falling hailstones depends on their size. Marble-size hail falls at around 20 mph. Hail the size of baseballs can drop at speeds 80 MPH and faster.
When To Get An Inspection
Hail damage to a roof cannot be seen from the ground of a home, and that’s a big reason why it hardly ever crosses anyone’s mind. But just because you can’t see damage by standing on your lawn and looking at your roof doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
If you own a home, getting a hail damage inspection after a hail storm should be your number one priority. The longer you wait to fix hail damage, the worse it will get. Here’s why:
- When hail hits an asphalt shingle, it often knocks off the protective granule coating. Once the granules are gone, the protective layer underneath is exposed to the elements.
- The sun’s ultraviolet light will weaken the exposed spots and make them brittle. These exposed areas are very susceptible to leaks.
- Once leaks occur, the damage can be extensive due to the potential damage from mold, electrical issues, ceiling, and wall damage from water. The damage can also come very quickly and often is not initially detected.
Insurance companies believe it is the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their homes and take steps to prevent leaks. Therefore, if you wait until your roof is leaking to make a claim, you could be footing the bill for all the major repairs. Preventing additional damage to your home is one of the reasons why some (but not all) insurance companies have time limitations to file a claim. In fact, most policies state that claims should be filed “promptly” or “as soon as possible.”
Who To Call
Unpredictable storms create unpredictable problems. That’s why it’s important to choose the right professional to inspect the integrity of your home after a storm. It’s important to find someone who is local, properly certified, efficient, courteous, and available to complete your warranty work – all of which you’ll find working with Wico Contractors. Contact us today for a free inspection by calling 214-735-8544.
