What is Hail Damage?
So you have hail damage to your roof? What’s the big deal about it anyway? Generally, it is classified in two different ways. The first is cosmetic damage and the second is functional damage. Cosmetic damage is just as the name implies, it’s cosmetic. Cosmetic damage may affect the attractiveness of building materials or components. For example, your downspouts are dented from the previous hail storm. The downspouts will continue to move water through them although the dents may look unattractive.
Functional damage however is when the material or component will not function any more in the way that it was intended. So functional damage may be when a hail stone impacts the shingles of the roof and breaks the matting of the shingle. Different insurance companies have requirements for what functional damage is or is not.
Small Hail or Big Hail
Small hail will generally not cause functional damage to a property. Smaller hail lacks the impact damage necessary to cause functional damage. What is small hail? Small hail are hailstones less than 1 inch in size. While density of the hailstone, impact angle, and underlying material are important characteristics that need to be considered, size is the most telling factor.
Large hail could be considered anything over 1 inch in size. When hail reaches 1.25 inches, functional damage becomes much more likely. The damage increase from a 1 inch hail stone to a 2 inch hail stone is much greater. Simple math says that a 2 inch hail stone has twice the impact energy as a 1 inch stone. In actuality, a 2 inch hail stone may have 4 times the impact energy depending on the hail size, impact angle, and underlying material.
What if I Have Damage?
You should contact your insurance company if you have damage. Some insurance companies allow you to simply state you were in the path of a hailstorm and file a claim. Others may require you to have a contractor do an inspection on your home first. Be wary of the “storm chasers” that knock on your door insisting that they inspect your property. Typically, local contractors inspect for hail damage and work with your insurance companies. This way, you can be sure the contractors will still be here next year if you have a problem with the work that was completed. Lask Inspection Group, LLC can take care of your next home inspection and inspects for hail damage when you are buying a home. Adam Lask is a licensed and certified home inspector in Rockford, IL. Call the Lask Inspection Group, LLC at 815-978-7785 to schedule your inspection. However, if you suspect storms have damaged your home I suggest you contact your insurance company for their recommendations.
Insurance Help
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More Services from Lask Inspection Group
Did you know we conduct commercial inspections? We are certified through CCPIA (Certified Commercial Property Inspection Assocation) and CDW Engineering trained for ASTM E2018. We serve Rockford, IL and other Illinois cities such as Loves Park, Machesney Park, Chicago, Naperville, Aurora, Geneva, Dekalb, Sycamore, Elgin, Lake Zurich, Arlington Heights, Crystal Lake, and other Chicago suburbs. Call our office to discuss your inspection today.
