Colorado is known to experience stronger hail storms because of its elevation and extreme weather. These hail storms can tremendously damage the roof of your building. This is one of the reasons why many homeowners in Colorado get hail damage insurance policies.
Although the policy covers hail-damaged roof claims, the insurance company can deny, delay, or even underpay your claim. The insurance policy providers may try to deny your hail storm claims to maximize their profits.
So, how do you protect your roof against hail damage? Here’s what you can do to your roof to prevent future hail claims.
Can You Protect Your Roof against Hail Storms?
Colorado has the highest mean attitude, thus making the area experience severe hail storms. These hail storms can cause damage to your roof, such as:
- Dinged gutters
- Damaged roof Shingles
- Presence of granules in the gutters
- Missing granules from the roof
- Dented or split shingles
A severe hail storm can greatly reduce the lifespan and durability of your roof. As a result, the roof will be unable to protect the property’s interior. That’s why it’s important to take the necessary measures to protect the roof of your property against hail storms.
Preventative Measures
Some preventative measures to take include:
- Have your roof inspected regularly. Regular inspection helps you determine if the roof is damaged. Remember, even a small dent in the roof can cause big problems in the future. Repairing the roof helps you avoid doing an extensive repair after a hailstorm.
- Trim the trees that surround your roof. Dead branches and debris can eventually fall on the roof and damage it.
- Invest in durable roofing materials. Good roofing materials will protect your home from hail storms and other weather events.
- Ensure you close all the windows, blinds, and curtains.
- Protect your outdoor furniture and equipment. For example, you can install hail shields and guards to protect the outdoor HVAC units.
Best Roofing for Hail-Prone Areas
It’s advisable to check the impact rating when choosing the roofing material for your home. The impact rating will help you know how resistant your roofing material is during significant weather events like hail storms.
Here is a list of the best roofing materials for properties in Colorado.
Rubber Roofing
Rubber is known to be among the best impact-resistant materials. This feature makes rubber roofing a great choice for people living in areas with frequent hail storms. It has an energy dispersing and absorbing nature, which prevents it from being damaged and disfigured by hailstones.
Most people prefer rubber roofing because it requires low maintenance and is readily available in the market. Also, this type of roofing is made of recycled materials, thus making it a good roofing option for environmental-conscious people.
Metal Roofing
You can find all kinds of metal roofing materials in the market today. Most of these metal roofing materials are strong, thus protecting your home from extreme weather events such as hail storms.
Consider installing roofing materials made of steel metal. This is because steel is stronger than copper and aluminum. Along with that, metal roofing materials are cheaper compared to other materials.
Tile Roofing
Nowadays, you can find clay, ceramic, concrete, and slate tiles. All these options are good, but slate tiles are the best because hail storms can’t damage them easily. Slate is a strong building material and usually has an impact resistance rating of FM 4473 class 4 or 3.
Asphalt Roofing
Asphalt roofing is created from waste paper, wood fiber, cellulose, and other materials. Then, adhesive asphalt and solid granules are added to make it highly waterproof.
Regular asphalt shingles are highly susceptible to damage, so it’s advisable to go for modified asphalt shingles. Modified asphalt shingles contain rubber-like compounds that make them more durable and bendable.
Thick Roofing Deck
Installing a thick roof deck is advisable after investing in sturdy and strong roofing materials. A roof deck protects the interior of your house, especially if the hail storms have already damaged your roof.
What happens if the roof is already damaged?
Sometimes, the roof can still get damaged even after observing all the precautions. So what do you do with the damaged roof? You can make hail storm insurance claims if you have an existing hail damage insurance policy.
Remember that insurance companies want to minimize payouts and may fail to pay for the damages. That’s why it’s important to have as much evidence as possible.
If hailstones have recently damaged your property, follow the tips below.
- First, Record the exact time and date you believe the hail damaged your property.
- Then document the damage by taking photos of areas damaged by the hail.
- Take pictures of the hailstones that damaged your roof.
- Review the insurance terms and conditions to help you understand the claim benefits you’re entitled to. Some insurance policies can indicate that you only receive a fixed amount to repair or replace the roof.
- Call the adjuster to come and examine the damage made by the hail storms. You can also hire another contractor to do a comprehensive inspection to help you and the adjuster get a clear picture of the damage done.
- The insurance adjuster will then prepare a checklist of all damages covered by your insurance policy.
- Lastly, the adjuster will inform you when their roofing contractor will come and repair the roof. Some insurance companies allow you to hire your preferred contractor.
The best way to prevent future hail claims in Colorado is by investing in durable roofing materials. Also, it’s advisable to regularly inspect your roof so that you can identify and fix any damage.
You can schedule an appointment with Red Hawk Roofing experts to inspect your roof today. We would happily perform a free inspection to help you determine the best roofing choice for your home.
