Did you know that 60% of all severe weather insurance claims are attributed to hail damage?
From May to the early weeks of September we experience our most severe hailstorm season, and financial losses from property and crop damage average about $1.42 billion in the United States each year.
When large hailstones come raining down, residential roofs are in the direct line of fire. Roofing companies have to struggle to keep up with damage repair requests pouring in from hail-hit neighborhoods and communities – especially in the “Hail Alley” zone, comprised of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
Hail season coincides with the busiest time of year for most roofing companies (late summer through fall). This is when they are typically fulfilling orders to lay new roofs. Therefore, homeowners may have to wait up to a month to for somebody to survey and fix their roofs after a hailstorm.
To help both homeowners and roof repair companies tackle this situation, we have created a handy damage repair checklist that addresses their most urgent concerns:
For Homeowners:
• Firstly, if you are concerned about the condition of your roof after a hailstorm, you are right to be. Hailstones come in all sizes and larger ones can even weigh more than a pound! Smaller ones are no less damaging when traveling at speeds of 20 mph or more. The pressure they can exert on your roof is enormous.
• Safely do a visual check of the roof if you notice damage to other parts of your home and property. Chipped paintwork on decks, splatter marks on driveways, dents on a metal mailbox, and shredded plants in the yard for example.
• Check for dents on the roof vents, metal chimney covers, gutters, and downspouts.
• Hail damage can go further than visibly broken or blown off shingles. A hailstorm will often dislodge the protective mineral granules of asphalt shingles, exposing pockets of asphalt shingle substrate. To an untrained eye, these may look like “roof blisters” (heat bubbles pockmarking shingle surfaces). A professional roofer will be able to distinguish one from the other.
• Finally, watch for leaks. They are your worst enemy in a post-hailstorm scenario and require immediate attention. Take action right away if you notice water stains or slow drips. These are often found on the ceiling, around light fixtures, inside closets, in the attic, or in the garage.
For Roofing Companies:
• Beware of “storm chasers” who materialize after a major weather event and offer cut-rate roof repair services without having the necessary experience, tools, licenses, or insurance. While taking advantage of desperate homeowners, they are also cutting into your legitimate roofing business. You owe it to your community to make people aware of these unscrupulous operators.
• Be prepared for a long wait list. Hail-affected customers will be calling in with urgent roof repair requests. Your business has to be ready for this with sufficient staff and equipment to service them quickly. Plan in advance, as these requests will come on top of regular roof replacements jobs you have already agreed to take on.
• Invest in a roofing conveyor, if you haven’t already. Manual methods are not only unsafe, outdated, and sometimes illegal, they simply cannot keep up with increased job demands or help you grow your business.
A roofing conveyor will speed up the job and perform rooftop deliveries of shingles and other materials within minutes. The unit will reduce your accumulating labor costs as you will need less manpower onsite. Also, if made of fiberglass, it will be weather-proof and fire-resistant, and you can expect many years of efficient service.
As roofing is the 4th most dangerous job in the United States, safety is always an important concern. Within the construction industry overall, falls from roofs account for one-third of all fall-related fatalities. An automated roofing conveyor will alleviate this worry and let you concentrate on what you do best during the next hailstorm season: build and repair roofs!
Let us help you weather-proof your roofing business with a smart solution that will keep you on top of the job – no matter how hard the hailstorms hit!
Check out the Load King Premier Roofing Conveyor by clicking HERE.
To request a quote, click HERE. Or call us at 855-787-7819 for more information.
