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Hail Damage

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Jhon Linares
11/21/2011
I have a warehouse with a 24" wide with 3" trapezoidal standing seam galvalume metal roof, the roof is 12-years old. Last year there was a hail storm with up to almost 3" hail with high wind speeds. I have some leaks in the building and when inspecting the roof we notice more than 2 hits per square foot, some of the hits were larger than a quarter and up to 1/8" deep? I started noticing sedimentation on this dents and some minor rusting. I call my insurance company and they said there is no damage, however three roofers told me I have severe damage on the panels and I can see why. With all this said, is this type of damage decrease the life of my roof, will this roof still be warranted by the metal panel manufacturer? Should this roof be replaced? I was told by one roofer that class IV hail resistant is for hail up to 2". What would you recommend. Should I pursue a Claim against the insurance company. I would appreciate an unbiased advise. Thank you,
David Stermer
12/1/2011
John, Thanks for your question. The material warranty from most manufacturers only covers performance in 'normal atmospheric conditions', not extreme events such as hail storms. From my experience hail damage on metal roofs is an aesthetic issue rather than a performance issue. Metal roofing is effective at maintaining the building envelope - resisting uplift loads and moisture infiltration even in severe events. But, if your building has experienced the rare hailstorm that has compromised the ability of the roof to perform, then I would recommend reviewing your property insurance coverage to confirm the appropriate protection is in force. If so, you should document that the condition of the roof meets the criteria for remedy and pursue relief from the insurace provider. I hope this helps, David Stermer
Eric Novotny
An informed customer is the Best Customer!
12/1/2011
Keep in mind that while your insurance company is there to protect your home, they are also there to protect their balance sheet and profitability. If you have interviewed several contractors whom you trust that all seem to be saying the same thing, it might be that the roof is permanently damaged and necessitates replacement. 3" hail is pretty large and certainly at the upper, upper end of the hail events that are normally seen. I would start exactly where David recommended by looking over your policy in detail.
Guest User
1/14/2012
I looked at thousands of roofs as an insurance adjuster. The only time hail damage will affect the life of the roof is if the hail has split the metal, which is very rare. That being said, insurance does not just cover performance, it covers damage, which includes cosmetic damage. Insurance will pay for a new roof, if you replace it. Less common policies are not replacement cost they are actual cash value polices, most common on farm policies, in which case they would pay a diminished value or the loss of life, maybe only if you replace it, than say 38/50ths base on 12 years old and a fifty year life.

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