Leduc AB Roof Guide: Navigating Roof Damage Insurance Claims

https://ddcl.ca/leduc-ab/leduc-ab-roof-guide-navigating-roof-damage-insurance-claims/

Leduc AB Roof Guide: Navigating Roof Damage Insurance Claims

When a hailstorm occurs, Leduc AB homeowners expect roof structural damage to happen immediately. Unfortunately, even the best Leduc AB roofing services reveal that their roof only suffered from cosmetic damage. In fact, we will advise you not to contact your insurer who will most likely reject your roof damage insurance claims.

Most insurers classify roof damages as cosmetic and structural. Depending on the clause in your policies, they may or may not provide coverage for cosmetic damages. Furthermore, if they do state coverage in the clause, insurers might not pay 100% for it. National Claims Negotiators has a great article on cosmetic damage -- read more about it below.

What is Cosmetic Damage?

What is cosmetic damage? Cosmetic Damage is defined as marring, pitting, or other superficial damage from a named peril (i.e. HAIL). This type of damage alters the appearance of damage but does not prohibit it from functioning according to some engineers. Roofing materials are designed as a moisture barrier to shed water.

Marring, pitting, and other structural damage does not impede the water shedding capability according to some engineers. While some claim that it is still functionally able to shed water as intended, they cannot state that the loss of life or structural integrity of the material may have been compromised. (Read full post)

Structural damage is the state of your roof when it has multiple leaks and is a threat to the overall health and performance of your roof. Insurers consider it critical and the ideal scenario wherein they reward roof damage insurance claims almost instantly.

However, only professional roofers can determine if there is detrimental structural damage to a residence. SF Gate Home Guides has a great post relevant to this. Learn more here.

How to Know If There Is Structural Damage to a Home



The only way to really know what's wrong with a home -- when it’s not obvious -- is to hire a contractor who's skilled in structural damage; but there are a few warning signs to watch for when you're shopping the housing market. The roof, foundation, walls, windows and doors are things that can indicate you should negotiate for a better price, have the homeowner handle some repairs, or keep on shopping.

Settling and Leaning Structures

Diligent construction contractors factor in the settling of a home when building it. Jarring windows and doors, and/or cracks in the walls around these framed-in features are basic indications of poor construction, a leaning building or more settling than should occur naturally. Use a level on the outside corners of the home to see if the walls stand upright. When a home’s doors and windows are sticking or won’t open or close, the framework could be under too much stress from uneven settling or slanted walls.

Foundation

Upper walls attach to a crawlspace foundation by bolted plates or joints. Use a flashlight to inspect the foundation where it meets the crawlspace walls. Check for loose bolts or poorly aligned joints. You probably won’t be able to see the supports or footings below a slab foundation. You can expect, however, to see harmless, hairline cracks in the visible exterior or interior concrete of any foundation. Check for large cracks that are wider at the top and narrow as they move downward, which may indicate extreme settling. Horizontal cracks in a foundation that’s backed into a hillside may indicate a home is sliding or being pushed off its footings.

Rotting Joists and Shifting (Read full post)

Lastly, your roofer cannot file your Leduc AB roof damage insurance claims on your behalf. They can represent you before your insurance adjuster but never file it under your name. Fortunately, the steps are not too complex to follow.

Triumph Roofing has a good article on roof damage insurance claims. It covers everything from documentation, submission, the forms you'll need, and other details. Read an excerpt of it below.

How to File a Roof Repair Insurance Claim

A damaged roof can be costly for a homeowner to repair. Here's how to successfully file your roof repair insurance claim.

Hail is one of the major causes of roof damage in the US. From 2013 to 2015, Texas recorded the highest number of hail damage claims with 394,572 cases.

If you're a victim of hail damage, the last thing you want is spending heftily to replace your roof. If you have roof repair insurance, you need to know how to file a claim. Keep in mind that your policy won't cover repairs or replacements due to normal wear and tear.

Most of the policies cover damages caused by hail, fire, vandalism, high wind, tornadoes, and hurricanes. This post will show you how to file an insurance claim easily.

Read on to learn more.

Find out What's Covered

It helps to contact your insurance provider or agent to know what's covered. Insurance companies take different approaches when handling insurance claims.

For example, some will take into account the age of your roof. In this case, your policy will cover the full cost of repair or replacement if the roof is less than ten years old. However, if the roof is more than ten years old, you'll only be compensated for the depreciated value.

Depreciated value consists of the wearing and aging that have occurred over time prior to the damage.

Some plans will offer coverage up to the depreciated value of the roof, regardless of its age. Others will only cover the damaged part of the roof at the time of the claim. Damages that occur due to water damage may need an additional policy.

The best way to know if your damage is covered is to read the policy and talk to your roof repair insurance agent.

Inspect the Damage

Once the disaster that caused the damage is over, inspect the condition of the roof. It's wise to hire a roofing contractor to do this for you. Most will give you a professional inspection report that you can file with the claim.

Your roof can be intact from the outside, but there can be significant damage on the inside. A trained expert can help to detect such hidden damages. Keep in mind that some policies have time limits for filing claims.

As such, you can't file a claim for damage that you hadn't noticed after the time limit elapses. After the disaster calms and it's safe, you can proceed with having the inspection done. A professional roofer will identify areas that require immediate repair and give you estimates.

Take Pictures (Continued Here)

Roof damage insurance claims can save you money if you know you can claim for damages. However, you'll definitely need the help of professional roofers with experience and knowledge in inspecting roofs for structural or cosmetic damages. If you have yet to find an excellent roofer, you can depend on DDCL to help you with all your needs. Contact us today!

Read More Here: Leduc AB Roof Guide: Navigating Roof Damage Insurance Claims

DDCL

3613 Claxton Place SW

Edmonton, AB T6W 2B4

(780) 306-1908

https://goo.gl/maps/BQw1YWUE8CgCSYxn8

Full Article Available on https://ddcl.ca/leduc-ab/leduc-ab-roof-guide-navigating-roof-damage-insurance-claims/