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We always recommend having an inspection completed, any time thereâs a storm in the area of your home.
At Simon Bros Roofing and Solar, we understand that this can be an inconvenience for many homeowners. However, having a roofer out to inspect your property prior to filing a storm damage insurance claim, can help to prevent unnecessary claims against your homeownerâs insurance. Weâll come out at a time convenient to you and do a full property inspection.
We will examine each elevation of your home and your roof for evidence of storm damage. Once completed we will provide you with photos from the inspection. We try to ensure a smooth process from start to finish whether we find damage or not.
Hail is formed when water droplets freeze in a cloud. As the frozen droplet begins to fall out of the cloud it is pushed back up by an updraft. More water droplets freeze to it and create layers of frozen water. This process continues until the hailstone becomes to heavy or the updraft dies down. At this point the hailstone falls from the cloud to the ground.
Hail can cause large amounts of damage to a home. Depending on the size and hardness of the hail stone. Usually under 1â will not damage a roof, however, when it is hard wind driven hail it can damage roofs, siding, gutters and windows. Hail damage to a roof can be harder to determine than other storm related damage. You wonât have missing shingles and most likely your roof wonât leak right away it can take a year or two before you notice the leaks. Itâs important to have your roof inspected by a residential roofing professional anytime there is a hail storm in your area.
Any winds that exceed 50-60mph are considered to be damaging winds. Most winds associated with thunderstorms are straight line winds as long as there is no rotation. They are generated from the outflow of a thunderstormâs downdraft. Severe thunderstorm winds are the cause of damage for half of all the severe reports in the lower 48 states. You are more likely to have to deal with severe winds than a tornado.
Wind can be very destructive to a homeâs roof. Many times miss shingles indicate that roof has sustained wind damage and is very easy for a homeowner to identify. However, the shingles do not always rip off the home and instead crease at the top of the shingle. The integrity of your shingle has now been compromised. When the shingle lift it also allows dirt and debris to accumulate on the tar strip. This can prevent your shingle from sealing back down. Many shingle manufacturers have continued to develop better technologies to combat wind. Owens Corning has implemented the SureNail technology which is a reinforced backing where the nails are placed on your shingle. Making sure your contractor uses the maximum amount of nails allowed also increases your wind rating on a shingle.
An ice dam is formed when the snow underneath melts from the heat of your roof and then freezes when it reaches the eave. The frozen portion prevents other snowmelt from draining properly. The melted water then freezes and continues to build up the ice dam. This can lead to shingle damage as well as roof leaks.
There are multiple ways to help prevent an ice dam from forming on your roof. This includes the use of heat cables on your eaves and proper insulation and ventilation on your home. You can also install Tarco LeakBarrier MS300 Ice and Water Armor which is an ice and water shield product designed to protect your decking should an ice dam form.
Roof replacement can be an expensive undertaking, after a storm from hail or wind damage. Homeowners should rely on their insurance company to help relieve costs and to help cover all or part of the expense.
Because this can be a lengthy and complex process; Simon Bros. Roofing and Solar have specialists who will work with the homeowners to streamline the storm damage insurance claim process every step of the way.
Below are some homeownerâs Frequently Asked Questions after experiencing roof damage.
In an insurance claim you should never pay more than your deductible unless you are choosing to upgrade something. Your insurance company will provide you with a line item estimate for your project and ultimately will decide the final amount paid out on your storm damage insurance claim. It is more important to find a contractor you feel comfortable with and trust to complete your project.
Occasionally damage can be missed on an initial inspection from your insurance company. You are entitled to a reinspection from a different adjuster you want. There are times where taking your storm damage insurance claim to appraisal is necessary. This is not common and we try to avoid it getting to that point.
The insurance company rarely pays a storm damage insurance claim in its entirety upfront. They pay what they call the AVC or Actual Cash Value of your project. Basically they depreciate the materials on your claim based on the age of your existing products such as roofing material or siding. The depreciation is held back until the work has been completed and we send in a final invoice. Usually there is also an additional supplement check. This happens when items are missed on the adjusterâs initial inspection and we need to supplement to the insurance company for the additional items.
We understand that a few bad contractors have given the industry a bad name. Our goal through out the entire process is to make it as stress free as possible. Because of this we donât ask for any money from you storm damage insurance claim, until materials are delivered to your home.
Solar panels are becoming a common thing to address during a roof replacement. If the company that installed your solar panels is still in business we would need to contact them to make sure we do not void your warranty. Usually your solar company will want to handle the detaching and resetting of the solar panels themselves. We coordinate with them to make sure the work is done in an efficient manner. We are also able to accommodate if your solar company is no longer in business. If you are thinking of adding now is great time. We can provide you with an design and estimate for new solar panels. You can get more info on solar here.
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Simon Bros Solar brings you the highest quality of products and services for Residential and Commercial Solar. With the cost of energy continuing to rise, now is the time to convert to solar. Our solar team will design a system specific to your home and your energy needs.
Contact Simon Bros. Roofing and Solar, to talk with our team of professionals who take pride in being one of the best. You can expect a prompt and professional response to your requests.