NATURAL DISASTERS & YOUR ROOF

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

SELECT THE CATEGORY TO REVEAL THE INFORMATION

EARTHQUAKES

If your roof is damaged by an earthquake, prepare to file an insurance claim and call your insurance company as
soon as possible to request an assessment. The insurance company must determine two things when assessing
the amount of your loss:

1. Is there sufficient damage to the roof to declare it a total loss?

2. What is the size of the roof, and how what material will be needed to replace it?

Your insurance company may or may not select your roofing contractor for you.

You also could call a professional roofing contractor and ask for a similar assessment.

Fires

If your roof is damaged by a fire, prepare to file an insurance claim and call your insurance company as soon as possible to request an assessment. The insurance company must determine two things when assessing the amount of your loss:

  1. Is there sufficient damage to the roof to declare it a total loss?
  2. What is the size of the roof, and how what material will be needed to replace it?

Your insurance company may or may not select your roofing contractor for you.

You could call a professional roofing contractor and ask for a similar assessment.

Heavy Rain

If your roof is damaged after heavy rains, prepare to file an insurance claim and call your insurance company as soon as possible to request an assessment. The insurance company must determine two things when assessing the amount of your loss:

  1. Is there sufficient damage to the roof to declare it a total loss?
  2. What is the size of the roof, and how what material will be needed to replace it?

Your insurance company may or may not select your roofing contractor for you.

You could call a professional roofing contractor and ask for a similar assessment.

Hailstorm

If your roof suffered hail damage, assessing hail damage is accomplished by a roof inspection, which usually occurs several days to several months after the hail event. Determining whether hail fell at a site may be verified by witness statements and weather reports. Inspection of thin, aluminum fixtures helps verify hail impact.

Hail damage to asphalt shingles can include granule loss, material removal at the edges of shingles and penetration.

Note that most hail-related damage is cosmetic and will not affect the life of a roof. In cases of severe wood splitting, significant granule loss, shingle penetration and fracture, shingle replacement may be required.

If you decide to file an insurance claim, call your insurance company as soon as possible to request an assessment. The insurance company must determine two things when assessing the amount of your loss:

  1. Is there sufficient damage to the roof to declare it a total loss?
  2. What is the size of the roof, and how what material will be needed to replace it?

Your insurance company may or may not select your roofing contractor for you.

You could call a professional roofing contractor and ask for a similar assessment.

Strong Winds

Roofs are designed to resist typical wind loads, but no roof can withstand the most extreme winds. Strong winds can incrementally damage a roof. And as wind moves over a roof, its effect is not uniform:

  • Depending on the direction the wind blows and the shape and location of the roof, there will be negative pressure (suction) or positive pressure (pushing) similar to the wind slapping your face as you round a corner.
  • Most wind damage begins at roof edges. When roofing material loosens, the wind’s suction can raise the material and the wind’s pressure can further push the material. Once a roof’s underside is exposed, not only can rain can get in, but it also gives the wind more to grab, resulting in a peeling effect. Subsequent winds continue to push roofing material up and over a little more each time until an entire corner of the deck or insulation become exposed. The damage starts small and grows through repeated wind cycles, usually over time.
  • Other items such as shards of glass, tree branches, etc., can severely damage a roof as windblown debris is blown across the roof.

If your roof is damaged from a hurricane, call your insurance company as soon as possible to request an assessment. The insurance company must determine two things when assessing the amount of your loss:

  1. Is there sufficient damage to the roof to declare it a total loss?
  2. What is the size of the roof, and how what material will be needed to replace it?

Your insurance company may or may not select your roofing contractor for you.

You could call a professional roofing contractor and ask for a similar assessment.

Snowstorm

Following a heavy snowstorm, it is not uncommon for ice dams to form on roofs (visually, these are icicles generally forming along the gutter line). For safety reasons, do not attempt to remove ice dams or shovel snow off your roof because you may do more harm than good.

The roof covering, flashings and gutters may be damaged during attempts to break up ice or by dragging a snow rake across the roof. Snow removal from a rooftop while standing on the ground typically results in snow being left on the roof ’s higher sections, which may lead to ice-dam formation above where a waterproofing underlayment is installed and roof leaks. If snow and ice buildup on a rooftop is an urgent problem, it is preferable to have a professional roofing contractor address it.

If your roof leaks following a snowstorm, call your insurance company as soon as possible to request an assessment. The insurance company must determine two things when assessing the amount of your loss:

  1. Is there sufficient damage to the roof to declare it a total loss?
  2. What is the size of the roof, and how what material will be needed to replace it?

Your insurance company may or may not select your roofing contractor for you.

You could call a professional roofing contractor and ask for a similar assessment.