Home Improvement Blog

When your roof sustains wind damage, expert analysis is vital. Only an experienced, certified roof inspector is qualified to distinguish the damaged parts of your roof from those that remain intact. You don't want to pay for unnecessary repairs, but you also don't want damaged areas to escape detection.

How does the insurance process work in regards to my roof

It's enough of a headache to have storm damage to your roof. Will more damage occur before you can get the roof replaced? Will leaks cause structural issues that impact the rest of your home? How will your belongings be impacted? But add in the stress of working with your insurance company to make a roofing insurance claim and your blood pressure may just jump through the roof.

Your roof is built to withstand many of nature's elements, however, in some cases, strong storms can create winds that could compromise the integrity of your roof. The signs of wind damage are often subtle so it's important to be aware of exactly what to look out for. Fixing the problems quickly can prevent future damage and potentially save you a lot of money down the road. Damaged roofs can lead to leaks which can drip into the interior of your home, ruining your most valuable possessions. It's smart to inspect your roof after each and every major storm.

You have some shingles missing. Or the flashing around your chimney is damaged. Or water is leaking into your attic. You know you should get a contractor to look at your roof and write up an estimate, but you are hesitant because you’ve been burned by less-than-outstanding roofers in the past. You are also worried about the cost and what else the contractor might find wrong with your roof.

In general, flat roofs offer plenty of advantages for homes designed with such a capability. Flat roofs are cost effective, easily accessible, and, depending on the material used, energy-efficient. They also offer the ability to utilize the space atop the house for other functions, such as placement for air conditioning units or solar panels.

“Should I replace my roof?” Homeowners often ask this question when they find a shingle in their yard or a leak in their attic—or when they are considering selling their home. Sometimes they simply ask this question when they pull into the driveway, look up, and see a roof that simply looks old.

Few people actually look forward to filing homeowners insurance claims. The process isn’t always smooth, and if you are filing, it’s likely because some sort of damage occurred to your home. According to the Insurance Information Institute, about one in 20 homeowners (5.3 percent, to be exact) filed an insurance claim in 2014. In an effort to not swear in a family-friendly blog post, let’s just say that you-know-what happens, and when it does, knowing your homeowners insurance policy will back you up is comforting.

The hurricanes of 2017 have been a brutal reminder of the havoc that extreme weather can wreak on families and the homes they live in. Although the DMV rarely takes the brunt of tropical storms the way other parts of the South and Southeast do, Mother Nature can still hammer roofs in our region, from heavy snowfall bringing branches down on homes in the winter to hail and high winds in the spring and summer to nor’easters and other storms in the fall.

Washington D.C. and its surrounding areas do not suffer as much risk for direct hits from hurricanes as other parts of the Atlantic seaboard, for which residents are thankful. However, we still encounter the effects of powerful storms making their way up the coast. Homes may be subject to heavy rains, high winds, hail, and other severe weather effects from the outer reaches of the hurricane or the remnants of a weakened, but still dangerous, storm.