Wind Damage & Haile Damage
It is common for large storms to sweep across the Ocala, Gainesville, & Lake City area. These large storms bring heavy rains, strong winds and even hail. Wind damage and hail damage to your roof is covered under your homeowners and business owner’s property insurance policy.
If you were around during the hailstorm and have an idea of the size that fell, it will give you a basis for what kind of roof hail or wind damage to expect.
Less Than 1 Inch: Hail smaller than an inch, or about the size of a quarter, may inflict damage to asphalt roofing. Most often though a hail damaged roof at this size can be more difficult to identify. You may require the assistance of a trained roofing inspector to accurately identify any hail damage.
1 Inch – 2 Inch: Hail size between 1 and 2 inches, or between quarter and egg size, usually damage will be more easily found on the asphalt shingles themselves as well as any soft metal on the roof.
Greater Than 2 Inches: Hail greater than 2 inches will almost guarantee some level of hail damage to an asphalt roof. If this is the case, contact your preferred roofing contractor for a full assessment of damages and notify your insurance company.
Roofs & Insurance
Most of the time insurance companies do the right thing. Some times they don’t.
Common strategies to deny claims have include:
- Sending out an engineer who writes a report that says there is no or little damage.
- Agreeing to pay for only a portion of the roof. Florida law requires that if 25% or more of the roof is damaged, then the insurance company must pay to replace the entire roof.
- Saying that the roof has deteriorated because of age when, in fact, the roof never leaked until a severe wind or hail storm. Most shingle roofs in Florida should last at least 20 years.
- Saying that the problems are due to installation, design or construction errors.
Don’t be afraid to consider litigating these issues, even against some of the largest of insurance companies. After a storm has passed through, it’s always a good idea to get a trusted, licensed, and reputable roofing company out to your home to assess your roof for wind damage, hail damage, or any other storm damage.
