Roof Hail Damage - 4 Tips for Homeowners

The storm has come and gone, did your home suffer any roof hail damage? Hail storms are capable of producing hailstones up to 6" in diameter. These balls of ice fall from the sky with no regard to your roof. The larger a hailstone is, the faster it will fall, potentially causing more damage to your home.

Many factors play into how much damage a hail stone may cause. Size of the hail, wind speed and direction are only a few pieces of the puzzle. The age of your roof's shingles, the type of shingles and if your shingles are "impact-resistant" can all factor in to the severity of your roof hail damage.

Damage to your roof's shingles can compromise the effective life of your roof and even if not immediately visible, may lead to large scale problems if not identified in a timely manner. Here are a few tips which will help you properly identify roof hail damage.

Tip #1: Is there any visible damage on the inside of your home? If you see water stains or slow drips on the inside of your home, then you have a problem which requires immediate attention. A new water stain on your ceiling is most definitely a sign that your roof was compromised. If left untreated, the problem will worsen leading to further damage which may require a complete tear-off of your existing roof, not to mention repairs to the interior of your home.

Tip #2 Are there any visible dents (blisters) on your roof's shingles? Just because you don't see any damage to the inside of your home does not mean your roof was not damaged. When there is no visible damage to the inside of your home, it may provide a false sense of security. By neglecting exterior damage, you run the risk of damage to your home in the months to come. Even worse is if you don't file an insurance claim within the time guidelines stipulated in your homeowner's insurance policy, you may lose benefits that you are entitled to now.

Identifying shingle blisters requires a visible inspection of your roof. Sometimes blisters may be hard to see. It can be helpful to look for small dings on metal or aluminum vents, downspouts or gutters. It is typically easier to identify these marks than blisters on your shingles. If you believe you have visible evidence of damage, it is suggested that you contact your insurance agent immediately to express your concerns and to find out what your policy covers and the procedures necessary to file an insurance claim.

Tip #3 Get your own independent professional opinion. There's no denying when a hail storm has blown through town. The National Weather Service records all storm data. If there is knowledge of a storm, and you contact your insurance company, they will most likely dispatch an adjuster. That adjuster represents your insurance company. His job is to identify damage, assess the cost to repair or replace your roof and make sure all of the paperwork is in order to process a claim.

It is suggested that you contact a local roofing company that is trained in roof hail damage for an independent opinion prior to your insurance adjustor performing their inspection. Your roofing company is capable of representing your interests. They should be willing to provide you an inspection and estimate to repair any damages free of charge. More importantly, they should be willing to back up their estimate and make themselves available for mutual consultation with the insurance adjuster. If the adjuster and roofer can agree on the remedy for the damage and the cost, this can expedite the process. In most cases your roofer will be awarded the repair job.

Tip #4 Get It In Writing. Most insurance companies will only issue a check directly to the roofer. This protects the insurance company from the homeowner "pocketing" the proceeds and never repairing the damage. By getting your roofing contractor to agree to the type of repairs to be performed and the costs involved, this will insure that your roof gets the required repairs. If your roofer agrees that the insurance check is sufficient to repair your roof hail damage, then they should be willing to do the repairs for that cost, nothing more.

Roof replacement or repair due to hail damage can be one of the most expensive repairs for homeowners and insurance companies. Making sure that you properly identify roof hail damage in a timely basis, and following the proper procedures will help protect your family's most important asset, your home.

In summary home owners who think they may have suffered storm damage should:

Look for visible water damage inside your home.
Look for damage to your roof's shingles that may compromise the effective life of your roof.
If necessary, contact your insurance agent and file a claim.
Consult a local roofing contractor trained in Roof Hail Damage to represent your interests.

Don Ryan is an expert roofing contractor who specializes in Roof Hail Damage. He works for RoofHailDamage.com, a National Network of local roofing contractors who specialize in storm damage to homes. To request a free inspection and estimate of your home's roof, visit their website or call 1-888-433-2367.

Useful Tips for Avoiding Flood Damage

What do you think will be the lasting memory of summer 2007 for most people?

Gordon Brown becoming the new Prime Minister of Great Britain? The memorial concert for Princess Diana at Wembley Stadium? Perhaps the image of a burning car being driven into Glasgow Airport?

Each of these events has their own merits but for many people summer 2007 will be remembered for the weather and the flooding that has hit many parts of the UK. This article looks at recent weather patterns and gives some tips on how businesses can try to avoid flooding in the future.

Rising temperatures, warmer winters and even hotter summers have been the talk from experts when it comes to climate change but recent years has seen worldwide misery and destruction when it comes to the weather.

The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in the Indian Ocean brought with it devastation and loss beyond belief with according to United Nations figures 229,866 people lost, including 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing.

2005 saw Hurricane Katrina rip through many parts of the United States with at least 1,836 people losing their lives in the Hurricane and subsequent floods. The storm is estimated to have been responsible for $81.2 billion (2005 U.S Dollars) in damage, making it the costliest natural disaster in US history.

And in the United Kingdom in June and July 2007 yet more misery in the form of torrential rainfall that has seen homes, businesses and lives destroyed throughout many parts of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. And whilst the storms in the UK haven't been on the scale of those witnessed in the Far East and United States, lives have been lost and the clean up operation is just underway.

So with further rainfall forecast in the UK the UK's Business Insurance Broker, Northern Counties Insurance, have produced these useful tips which businesses can follow to help them both pre and post loss should they be hit by flooding.

Pre Loss tips include:

1. Ensuring that where possible all electrical equipment and stock is stored at least four feet above ground

2. Turning off electrical equipment (excluding burglar alarms)

3. Turning off the supply to central heating units if these are at ground level

4. Whenever and wherever possible moving vehicles to high ground

5. Sand bagging the premises if there is a high exposure to potential flooding

6. Consider constructing gullies to funnel water to drains

7. Clearing all drains and gutters on and around the premises of leaves and any other obstructions to allow an unrestricted flow of water

8. Moving high value items away from unmanned premises

This is by no means a comprehensive list of actions you could take prior to a flood but by following them your chances of a loss occurring could be significantly reduced.

So what action can you take in the event of a loss occurring?

Post Loss tips include:

1. Removing debris where possible. However if the debris is in any way contaminated, you may need to contact the emergency services first.

2. Saving items of value for inspection

3. If stranded, contact the emergency services immediately

4. If possible allowing ventilation to the premises

5. Consider up to £500 of emergency repairs to mitigate future losses

6. Take all appropriate and reasonable measures to protect the premises from future flooding

7. Contact your insurance broker or insurance company immediately so they can help make sure your claim is dealt with as quickly and as favourably as possible

Hopefully the weather like we have seen in the summer of 2007 will be a freak occurrence that doesn't hit us again but should storms and flooding continue hopefully these Useful Tips for Avoiding Flood Damage will go some way to help you out.

Useful Tips for Avoiding Flood Damage was brought to you by Mark Burdett, Marketing Manager of Northern Counties Insurance Brokers - The UK's Business Insurance Broker.

This article was written by Mark Burdett, Marketing Manager of Northern Counties Insurance Brokers. Mark has over 17 years Marketing experience in the Financial Services industry and has worked on campaigns for companies including Norwich Union, Kia and Zurich.

Now based in Newcastle upon Tyne Mark is Marketing Manager for one of the UK's Leading Insurance Brokers - Northern Counties Insurance Brokers.

Northern Counties have been providing Business Insurance to businesses since 1928 and can be contacted on 0191 482 1219 for all your Commercial Insurance and Business Insurance needs.

Business Insurance - http://www.northerncounties.com