Tornado and severe weather season in Virginia can bring destructive hail and wind. While damage from severe weather can be hard to prevent, there are measures you can take to protect your home and property. After a severe weather event, exterior damage to your home maybe be obvious, but also may not be obvious with an untrained eye. Years in the home insurance business have taught us how common hidden weather damage can affect a home over time, especially the roof, leading to costly damage and insurance claims.
How Virginia Weather Can Damage Your Home's Roof
In March 2017, severe storms swept across parts of Virginia, bringing straight-line wind gusts of up to 60 mph and large, damaging hail. Here in Stafford, the wind drove jawbreaker-sized hail horizontally into our home, denting our air-conditioning units, shredding window screens, puncturing our vinyl siding, and sending roof shingles flying across the yard. The storm was so intense that it sounded and felt as though a train were roaring past our house. I had never experienced anything like it.
Although I could see pieces of roofing shingles scattered around the yard, I could not otherwise identify any obvious damage to the roof from the ground. Our home's roof ended up needing to be completely replaced, along with siding, window screens, and garage doors. I asked our NNINS Virginia insurance experts for guidance, knowing they could explain how wind and hail can damage a roof—even when the signs are difficult to see. Here is what I learned.
How You Can Tell if Your Home Has Weather-related Roof Damage?
Pieces of asphalt shingles in your yard, as I experienced, or missing areas on the roof that expose the underlayment are among the most obvious signs of roof damage. Wind and hail can damage an asphalt roof in several different ways and is likely difficult to identify without a trained eye. Consulting a professional roofer for an inspection is not only safer, but can also provide a clearer assessment of your roof’s condition, as well as storm damage.
Other damage may appear as indentations or fractures on the shingle surface. Because hailstones vary in size, shape, and hardness, they can leave a random pattern of dents or depressions. If damage to the shingles is not apparent, look for indentations on metal flashing, siding, chimney caps, or skylight flashing.
What do the Most Common Types of Roof Damage Look Like?
The most common types of home roof damage from wind and hail are:
- Cracks in the granule-asphalt surfacing may radiate outward from points of impact. Cracks may be present especially if high winds blew the shingles back.
- Exposed fiberglass mats from hail shattering the granule-asphalt surfacing causing it to break away from the fiberglass mat.
- Fractured fiberglass mats may or may not be immediately visible. A fractured mat may result in tears radiating out from the points of impact.
Can individual shingles be replaced or do you have to replace the entire roof?
Depending on the extent of the damage, individual storm-damaged shingles may be replaced. When replacing shingles, any nails removed from surrounding shingles should be replaced, and the surrounding shingles should be resealed by hand for the best results. If a significant number of shingles are damaged, replacing the entire roof slope may be recommended to help maintain the roof’s long-term performance.
Does Home Insurance Cover Weather-related Roof Damage?
Homeowners insurance does cover roof damage caused by severe weather, such as wind and hail, depending on your policy terms, deductible, and the condition and maintenance of the roof. Your local agent can help you determine whether filing a claim may be appropriate. Because every claim is different, even our claims team may not be able to determine how a claim will be resolved until all the details have been reviewed. Please begin the claims process so we can properly evaluate the damage and coverage. Learn more about home insurance claims.
Some areas of Virginia are more prone to high wind damage and may warrant a special home insurance deductible on your policy. In specific severe weather instances, your standard deductible would not apply and your wind deductible would be in effect for your claim.
How to Avoid Home Problems From Roof Damage
It's very important to keep up with annual roof maintenance to ensure your home insurance will protect you when needed. The most common reason roof insurance claims are denied is due to poor maintenance. Remember the potential for hidden damage. If you experience a severe wind and/or hail weather event, it is important to have a professional inspection even if you do not see physical damage. Schedule routine roof and attic checks every year especially as your roof ages.
When buying a home, be sure to have a comprehensive home inspection and pay attention to the roof. They should inspect the framing, sheathing, drainage system, and attic insulation and ventilation, as all of those components are protecting your home.
Avoiding Roofing Repair and Replacement Scams
After the storm, several roofing contractors came to our door, but we decided not to hire them. Homeowners should be cautious of contractors who arrive uninvited after a severe weather event. Some storm-repair scams involve rushed, substandard work, followed by contractors who disappear before workmanship problems can be addressed. A reputable contractor typically does not need to solicit business by going door-to-door.
Instead, ask friends or family members for referrals, read reliable online reviews, and verify that the contractor is properly licensed and bonded in Virginia. We found a local Virginia-licensed and bonded roofing contractor (opens in a new window) with excellent reviews, which gave us peace of mind as our repairs were completed.
Learn more about homeowners insurance in Virginia >
Sources:
https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup/
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency15/chapter40/section130/
THE NORTHERN NECK INSURANCE INTEGRITY PROMISE — We pledge to provide straight talk and good counsel from our NNINS Virginia insurance experts through our blog. While we hope you find this to be a helpful source of information, it does not replace the guidance of a licensed insurance professional, nor does it modify the terms of your Northern Neck Insurance policy in any way. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy.
