Storm Damage
What Is Wind Damage?
Severe wind can potentially dislodge shingles completely, leaving the decking and felt underlayment of your roof exposed entirely. In this situation, it is almost certain that you will experience moisture damage that will likely extend to your interior. In some cases, wind damage can leave the shingle intact, but the seal between the shingle and the asphalt is compromised. Once this bond is compromised, the shingles almost never re-seal properly on its own. This is due to buildup of debris on the tar strip underneath. Debris prevents the tar from heating back up and re-sealing to the underside of the shingle. Eventually, as more and more wind hits your roof, the shingle will be constantly worked back and forth. This event can result in stress lines and granule loss for the shingle. Once a stress line occurs, it is only a matter of time before the shingle is broken off. Depending on the severity, wind damage is nearly impossible to fix in sections and requires replacement of the entire roof.
What Is Hail Damage?
If a roof has been exposed to a hailstorm severe enough to cause damage, this will show up in many different ways sometimes even up to a year after the initial storm. When hail makes contact with an asphalt shingle, the shingle may appear broken, indented, or even dislodged completely. However, impact from the hail stone may not be noticeable immediately after the shingle is weakened by the hail stone. Constant weathering can result in a loss of granules long after a storm, leaving the area of impact vulnerable to the elements from which roofing shingles are designed to protect. Natural elements such as sunlight and rain are then able to penetrate the exposed mat underneath the shingle, thus allowing moisture to enter and cause leaks, mold, and mildew damage to the interior of your home and your belonging.
How To Start The Insurance Process
How To Start The Insurance Process
Although damage may not be apparent to the homeowner immediately, it is recommended to have an experienced professional such as a roofing contractor or your insurance provider to physically inspect your roof if your area has experienced hail ranging from ¾ inches in diameter or larger. Your homeowners' insurance should cover the replacement of your roof as a natural disaster for both wind and hail, meaning that your premiums should remain the same once the claim is made.
Braswell Construction Group, Inc. offers free inspections to assist in beginning this process. Once one of our trained experts inspects your roof, we will determine the extent of the storm damage. If we feel that you have incurred severe hail or wind damage, we will then direct you to contact your insurance provider. You will then file an insurance claim and make an appointment for an insurance adjuster to meet with our representative for a final inspection.
During our meeting with your adjuster, we will work on your behalf to insure that no damage is overlooked and that you are treated fairly by the insurance agent. Once officially approved, you will receive an insurance estimate along with your first payment towards repairs noted on the estimate within 5-10 business days.
Braswell Construction Group, Inc. will work closely with your insurance provider throughout the entire process. We do everything from reviewing your estimate, which guarantees that all required repairs are included in the scope of work, to speaking with them over the telephone to ensure that all paperwork necessary to secure your claim is promptly turned in. We have extensive knowledge of the claim procedure and familiarity with numerous insurance companies. These companies can sometimes be complex, so we strive to make the process as simple as possible for our clients by assisting in every way feasible. It is also understood that not all insurance pricing is the same, so we offer the opportunity to work with your company's specific prices if you prefer this option.