Was Your Home Damaged from the Highlands Ranch Hail Storm on 06/06/2016?
On Monday, June 6, 2016, another storm produced hail stones that damaged homes and automobiles in the Highlands Ranch area. Each year it seems that this area gets hit with a hail storm. As a resident this would be taxing and troublesome.
Roofing companies in Denver flood the area and begin knocking on doors to pursue new clients.
These Denver roofing companies, many with good intentions, are only seeking to offer their services. However, some of the solicitors offer to cover deductibles and give free upgrades. These contractors are committing fraud. They are certainly the ones to stay away from. The problem is that there are just so many roofers inundating an area all at once. When a hail storm is city wide its good news when a roofer knocks on the door, for most roofers are too busy to answer their phones. However, that’s not the case with this current storm. Most roofing companies in Denver have experienced a drop in their business until this recent storm. As a result Highlands Ranch residents will continue with an onslaught of good roofers and bad roofers knocking on their doors. We highly suggest placing a Roofer No Soliciting sign on your door with a current date attached to it. See our post on how to select a roofer. Some interesting advice on deciphering between scare tactics and sage advice is shared. Much of the advice released through media outlets is loaded with scare tactics. It’s hard to divide myth and facts. Now, lets get back to back to hail damage.
Obviously, based on the volume of solicitors knocking on doors, there is significant hail damage to some homes in the community. The big question that each overwhelmed resident is asking right now is, “What extent of hail damage do I have to my roof?” That depends on the hailstorm, as well as the type and age of your roof.
Has Your Roof Been Damaged in the Hail Storm?
Depending on the type and age of the roof system, hail damage may or may not have resulted from this storm. The hailstones from this storm may have produced functional damage to an asphalt roof. The minimal size stone that may produce damage to a lightweight asphalt shingle is 1”. Let me clarify that a one inch hail stone doesn’t necessarily produce functional damage. It’s only the starting point of when damage may occur to a light weight shingle. Highlands Ranch roofs are covered with many types of roofs varying from lightweight to heavy weight shingles. In addition there are cement tiles, clay tiles, stone coated steel roofs and metal roofs.
If you have a metal roof I doubt that it sustained any functional damage. Over the years engineering firms and insurance companies have determined that the minimum hail stone required to damage a metal panel is 2-1/2”. The truth is I don’t think there were many stones that were near the size of a tennis ball in the storm we just incurred. A baseball is approximately 2-3/4” in size.
From most weather reports of the recent storm, I’ve determined that the median size of the largest stones were closer to golf-ball size. A golf ball is approximately 1-3/4”. That’s not good for an asphalt composition roof which only needs 1-1/4” hail to potentially cause damage to a heavy weight shingle.
The heavy weight shingles that are installed in this market are manufactured by Owens Corning, CertainTeed, GAF and several other manufacturers. By heavy weight shingle for this area, I’m referring to thick asphalt shingles that have an appearance of wood shingles or even wood shakes. A wood shake shingle is thicker than a wood shingle.
Roofs built with CertainTeed Presidential Shake shingles may have sustained functional damage to the fiberglass mat if they sustained continual impacts of golf ball sized hail throughout this storm. If a GAF Grand Canyon shingle is on your home and you were in the center of where the largest hail fell, then your roof probably sustained damage. Owens Corning shake look shingles would have faired the same.
Choosing a Roofing Company with Integrity
One of the biggest difficulties after the storm is choosing a roofer. Everyone wants to make the best choice, and every roofing company in Denver seems to think they’re the best. After the initial wave of door knocking slows down and you have had time to research the companies you are interested in working with, the decision can come down to a few variables between the companies you are considering.
Some roofing companies in Denver serve as vendors for insurance companies and are obligated to abide by contracts that have private information that may legally restrain them from communicating certain details that may be important to the homeowner. Here at Integrity Roofing and Painting we are your advocate. This means specifically that we work for you and work with the insurance company, but not for the insurance company.
While insurance companies serve the community well, they may underfund full replacement cost. If allowed, we will communicate with the insurance team to restore your home to pre-storm condition and to ask to be funded at present day prices. If we served as a vendor for insurance companies, then this may not be an option.
Our staff works with insurance companies daily, and most of the time we agree with their assessments of damage. Occasionally we disagree with a new adjuster’s understanding of what constitutes hail damage. Our typical concern when working with insurance companies is coming to an agreement on which components should be replaced and funded on a roof replacement.
The fact that insurance companies under value claims at times is common knowledge. This can be taxing on a homeowner. The question of what to do becomes a legitimate concern. Our team of certified inspectors, roofers, former insurance adjuster and former insurance staff members are here to help. Our staff is thoroughly trained and familiar with insurance restoration process and can assist you in the claims process. We are able to communicate effectively with insurance companies to ensure that our clients’ home are restored properly and the insurance claim funds this reasonably well.
Another typical scenario that we see after a storm and you may have experienced is the “Discount Roofer” that promises to cover your deductible. This individual and the company they represent are propagating insurance fraud. The bad news is if a homeowner works with them then they too are participating in insurance fraud. At the very least the homeowner would be an accomplice to the crime. Each homeowner must pay their deductible. The system works and our company will honor this system, for it is legal and ethical. Please avoid these unscrupulous contractors that try to cheat the system. If they are willing to lie to the insurance companies, what keeps them from lying to you? Do you really want someone that is advocating fraud practice fraud working around you and your family? That’s a question that needs to be answered before agreeing to this illegal activity.
For those looking for a company with integrity, knowledge and experience, there are roofers in Denver that qualify. We happen to be one of them and would love to work with you and replace your roof. Please, contact us for your free roof inspection.
After choosing your roofing contractor, you will then need to decide which type of roof system will be best for you. If you’re interested in learning more about the Class 4 roof systems, be sure to check out our next blog.