A Homeowner’s Guide to Handling Hail Damage
Hail storms can strike quickly and unexpectedly from April to September in Colorado. While you can often shelter your car in a garage or other covered structure to protect it from damage, your roof remains vulnerable to the elements. The guide below offers advice from a roofing contractor for what to do after troublesome weather to ensure your shingles’ structural integrity.
Identifying Signs
Hail damage can be difficult to spot. Lighter shingles will appear bruised where hail struck. There may be some cracking around the bruise and small granules of asphalt may be missing.
In some cases, there are no obvious signs of damage. Homeowners only realize something is wrong when their roof begins to leak due to broken areas beneath the shingles. Make a point of checking your attic regularly for sunlight streaming in through gaps or water spots.
What to Do
If you have reason to suspect hail damage, contact a roofing contractor. They’ll be able to safely climb on top of your home to take an up-close look at each shingle. They’ll carefully mark areas where shingles need to be replaced so that you can avoid issues ranging from wood rot to mold and mildew growth.
The contractor will meet your insurance company at your home to make sure that you get everything allowed for on your insurance policy in regards to the hail damage your property received. 1st American Roofing Co. has professionals that understand the insurance process from start to finish, and will help to optimize your claim. Try to handle this as soon as possible so you can get your claim approved and home restored.
How to Prevent Future Damage
If your home is in need of a roof replacement, your best defense against hail is choosing high-quality shingles. There are a few different good options to help with future hail storms. At 1st American Roofing Co., we offer two types of class-4 impact resistant shingles: asphalt dimensional shingles, and stone-coated steel shingles. This means that even large pieces of hail thrown at high speeds aren’t likely to damage your roofing.
When using class-4 impact resistant shingles, most insurance companies will give you an discount on your annual insurance premium.
Make sure all roof repairs that are needed are completed promptly since already-weakened shingles are more likely to suffer damage and leaks during hail storms, which can damage your plywood roof sheathing and drywall inside of your home.
Whether you need roof repairs or a complete roof replacement, contact 1st American Roofing Co. for assistance. This Lafayette, CO, roofing contractor has served homeowners for over 30 years and will take all the necessary steps to protect your property from the effects of storm damage. Begin exploring their full scope of work and products on their website. Connect on Facebook for more roof care tips. Call (720) 203-2900 to arrange an appointment.
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