Severe weather can cause a lot of trouble for homeowners. Storm and hail damages are quite familiar with Texas weather, but the occasional strong winds can give you a run for your money. Sometimes, the high winds can inflict serious damage to your roof, so it is wise to get a proper inspection done by a roofing contractor.
Before you apply for an insurance claim, call a professional for wind damage roof inspections to determine how bad the situation is. Let us explain what you should know about a wind-damage roof inspection and why you must do it ASAP.
What Is Considered Wind Damage to a Roof?
While it’s easy to spot broken water lines or other obvious signs of damage, it can be hard to detect other, less visible types of hail damage. To ensure you stay on top of any potential problems, it’s important to know what qualifies as damage to the roof and what steps to take to ensure proper roof repairs and wind damage mitigation.
Missing Shingles
Asphalt shingles can often get pulled off the roof surface when wind speeds are high. If more than a few are missing, you indicate that hail damage has occurred, and you should call a professional roofing contractor to come out and carry out a thorough roof inspection.
Cracked Tiles
When it comes to storm-damaged roofs, generally involve any destruction caused by strong gusts of wind and hail damage from blowing against your home’s roof.
This can include missing shingles, cracked slate roofs and tiles, or damaged roof membranes. Even with only light winds, they can cause slight but critical damage that can slowly wear away at the structure’s integrity.
How Do You Assess Wind Roof Damage?
The roof is one of the essential components of any home, and hail damage can quickly turn into a significant problem that requires a roof replacement if not handled properly.
However, the good news is that a roofing contractor can provide comprehensive roof and wind damage inspections through a free estimate. This will help determine whether you need repairs or a full roof replacement. Knowing what to look for when assessing wind storm damage is the first step to tackling the issue.
Hail Damage
The first thing to look at is the major signs of hail damage. Hail can cause major problems to roofs, including bruise-like lesions from the impact, small lacerations in the shingles, and large cracks and voids.
Water Damage
Leaks or pools of water around the edges or seams of the roof are major red flags that could signal interior structure damage or exposure to inclement weather.
Should I Make a Claim for a Wind-Damaged Roof?
Damage from high winds, hail and other perils covered by homeowners’ insurance policies can typically be settled with a claim. Unfortunately, there is rarely a clear-cut answer because the amount of wind it takes to cause damage to a roof is impossible to predict.
Because of this, the first step in deciding whether you should claim a wind-damaged roof is to conduct a thorough inspection.
A qualified roofing inspector like Water Damage and Roofing of Cedar Park will examine the structure for damage to shingles, tiles, flashings, sealants, and other elements. Depending on the extent of the situation, certain repairs may be necessary before your roof is safe and secure.
In addition to completing roof inspections, it’s important to document any damage you may have noticed. This can include photographs, videos, and an estimate of the cost to repair the damage. Your insurance company might need to see these documents before deciding whether or not to cover the damages.
How Do You Prove Wind Damage in a Roof?
To get the most out of the insurance claim on your roof, you want to gather all the possible evidence of the damage caused by a storm.
Contact a Professional Roofing Contractor for Roof Repairs
An expert roofer will know exactly how to determine the issues caused by natural disasters. By inspecting the roof for storm damage, a contractor can also tell you what you should repair or replace. The benefit of hiring a professional is that you can have your roofing system fully checked and even get a free estimate for the repair cost.
Collect Evidence of Roof Damage
If you want your insurance company to take you seriously, you will want to show strong proof of damage. Take as many photos and videos of your roof’s cracked and broken parts, and show them to the company.
Ask Neighbors to Vouch for You
Your neighbors are your best friends when it comes to a storm. They can also vouch for you during an inspection, so you can get the most compensation for your roof. Your neighbors can confirm that even their properties were affected and that the wind was pretty strong during the night of the calamity.
Conclusion
A wind damage home inspection is an important step in protecting your home against potential threats from high winds. If you’ve been affected by a storm, damaged roof maintenance should be carried out as soon as possible to assess the condition of your property.
Such an inspection can give homeowners a better understanding of the condition of their roof, identify if any work is necessary, and help them move forward with the proper repairs or a replacement.
In addition, if your home has sustained storm damage, an inspection can help you get the compensation you deserve from your insurance company.