Is your commercial roof damaged and leaking from storm damage? When the time comes for the insurance company to pay for repairs, know how storms damage commercial roofing to ensure you are getting your maximum payout.

atlantacommercialroofingcontractors.com gathered information on damages caused by different weather events and how to stop your insurance company from underpaying your claim.

Storms and Commercial Roof Damage

Depending on the severity and duration of a storm, the extent of damages to your commercial roof may vary. The following are types of storms that can cause catastrophic losses:

Roof Damage from Rain Storms

Heavy rainstorms put a roof to the test, exposing its vulnerabilities and flaws. During a rainstorm, be on the lookout for:

• Leaks in the corners of the structure.
• Water coming through vents, skylights, and other roof penetrations.
• Wet spots in the ceiling.

If there is a problem with the roof’s drainage, water may pool on the roof, adding weight to the roofing system and accelerating deterioration of roofing materials, leading to the failure of the roofing system.

Roof Damage from Wind Storms

Wind storms are capable of causing both hidden and visible damage to your roofing system, such as:

• Lift (This is suction created as wind blows over your roof).
• Blowing equipment over, breaking, puncturing, or tearing portions of the roofing material.
• Blowing damaging debris onto and across the roof.
• Causing overhanging trees to scrape or fall onto the roof.

The majority of wind damage doesn’t become evident until the next rainfall, when water leaks through the roofing system.

Roof Damage from Hail Storms

Hail storms are fast, violent, and accompanied by high wind. They can cause significant damage to roofing systems, structures, vegetation, vehicles, or anything left unsheltered. After a hail storm has passed look for the following:

• Pockmarks, dents, and cracks along seams, fastening points, and flashing.
• Damage to gutters and downspouts. Large cracks or dents can compromise their function.
• Damage to equipment mounts and roof penetrations.
• Fallen trees, branches, and other debris potentially cracking, puncturing, or tearing roofing material.
• Significant accumulations of hail adding weight to the roofing system.

Pea-sized or marble-sized hail may not cause any obvious damage. Sizes reaching that of a dime or a quarter can cause significant damage. However, when the size of the hail reaches that of a golf ball or a softball, catastrophic damages are likely to occur.

Roof Damage from Tornadoes

The concentrated winds and updraft of a tornado are capable of turning any, and everything unanchored into a lethal projectile. Rated on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale from 0 to 5, tornadoes may cause the following damages:

• Partial or complete removal of a roofing system.
• Lift and damage to membrane seals and flashing.
• Gutters and downspouts ripped away.
• Equipment unanchored and dragged across the roof.
• Projectiles (trees, road signs, vehicles, etc.) thrust onto the roof.
• Partial or total destruction of the building.

To learn more about the Enhanced Fujita scale, visit spc.noaa.gov/efscale/

Roof Damage from Hurricanes

Potentially the most damaging of storms are hurricanes. They pack the winds of tornadoes with the destructive force of the heaviest of rain storms.

• Partial or complete removal of a roofing system with catastrophic flooding as a result.
• Lift and damage to membrane seals and flashing.
• Gutters and downspouts overloaded and potentially ripped away.
• Wind-driven rain can be forced beneath roofing material and flashings causing interior damage and leaks without damaging the roof covering.
• Projectiles can be thrust onto the roof.
• Blockages in the draining system may cause water to accumulate, overloading the roof weight capacity, and collapsing it.

Hurricanes are ranked from Category 1, with winds of 74-95 mph, to Category 5, with winds of 157 mph or more. Category 5 hurricanes are capable of severely damaging a city’s entire infrastructure, making areas uninhabitable for weeks or even months.

Visit the Storm Prediction Center, as preemptive action and awareness of hurricanes, tornadoes, and storms can help protect and prepare your property for violent weather damage.

Roof Damage from Extreme Heat Waves

Heat waves can cause a particular type of roof damage. Extreme or prolonged periods of heat can cause roofing material to expand, and as temperatures cool at night, the expanded materials contract. As this process of expansion and contraction repeats, the following damages may occur:

• Cracking or loss of flashing seal
• Opening of seams or welds
• Tearing, shrinking, or pulling apart of roofing membranes

While all roofing systems are vulnerable to shrinkage, TPO, EPDM, and some PVC membrane systems are particularly susceptible and suffer more significant heat-related damages.

Learn more about this and “5 Must Know Commercial Roofing Problems and Solutions”
at atlantacommercialroofingcontractors.com/5-must-know-commercial-roofing-problems-solutions/

Insurance Claims after Storm Damage

After a storm has passed and damages are detected, it’s time to act. The longer you wait to file a claim, the more you risk having your claim underpaid or denied.

The following will help you file an insurance claim for a storm-damaged commercial roof:

Documentation of the damage – Hire a professional roofing contractor to perform a roofing system inspection, and document every aspect of the damage with photos, video, and narrative descriptions.

Filing the claim – Once the inspection is complete, the roofer who performed the inspection can help you assemble the claim and submit it. This part of the process is straightforward and can usually be completed on your insurer’s website or by contacting a claims representative.

Inspection by the insurer’s adjuster – your insurer will send their own adjuster to evaluate the damage. When possible, invite your roofer to the inspection site to advocate and represent your interest to the insurance adjuster.

Approval, refusal, and negotiations – if the insurance company’s adjuster approves your claim, you will receive damage compensation. If refused or only partially approved, your roofer or a public insurance adjuster can help you negotiate better terms before reaching a final settlement.

Commercial Roof Repair after Storm Damage

Knowing how storms damage a roof can help you file your claim and recover the money necessary to restore your property correctly.

In this article, you discovered how different severe weather events can damage a roofing system, the process for filing an insurance claim, and how to prevent your insurance company from underpaying your claim.

If your commercial roofing system is leaking after a storm, identify all potential damages, and promptly file your claim to ensure the proper repair and settlement is achieved.

Sources:
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/efscale/
https://www.weather.gov/mfl/saffirsimpson
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.558.184&rep=rep1&type=pdf

See Commercial Roof Storm Damage and Insurance Claims for the first version of this content.

After a severe weather event, leaks in a commercial roof can become problematic very quickly. Besides disrupting business and making a mess, they can cause electrical problems, structural damage, and lead to roof failure if not promptly addressed.

When the roof of your commercial building, hotel, office, warehouse, or retail location is damaged or develops a leak, it should be treated as an emergency and handled immediately.

In this article, atlantacommercialroofingcontractors.com discusses weather-related roof damage, insurance company assessments, and how to hire a roofing contractor.

Causes of Commercial Roof Damage and Leaks

During or after a severe weather event, damages to your roofing system may become very obvious in the form of saturated walls, drips, or even streams of water cascading to the floor.

Hailstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes in particular can beat up your roofing system, causing severe structural damages, such that extensive repairs or even roof replacement may be necessary.

However, sometimes a severe weather event isn’t necessary to expose an emergency situation. Over time, your roof must frequently endure extreme temperature fluctuations, and eventually, all it takes is a rain shower on a mid-summer afternoon to rapidly cool a nearly 200-degree roof and presto! You’ve got leaks and an emergency on your hands.

Roof Assessments and Insurance Inspections

If your roof damage emergency is the result of an act of God, before any major work begins, you must file the insurance claim. To do so, gather your policy number(s), facts about the situation, and call your insurance carrier to request an assessment.

During an evaluation inspection, the adjuster must determine the following when assessing the total of your loss:

• What is the extent of the damage?
• How much material is needed for repairs?
or
• Was the roof damaged sufficiently to declare it a total loss?
• How much material is required for replacement?

To ensure that you will receive the maximum benefit from your insurance policy, call a professional roofing contractor to have your own independent assessment done.

Request a Reinspection – If you find discrepancies between the insurance adjuster’s findings and those of the roofing contractor, you have the right to request a reinspection or contract an insurance public adjuster.

Reinspections are common practice, in which the insurance adjuster will meet with the roofing contractor to review the damages done to your roof.

Upon approval of the claim to repair or replace your roof, your insurance provider may select the roofing contractor to complete the work. They may also leave that determination up to you.

Note: In areas where a disaster has occurred, insurance companies may set up and follow special temporary procedures to expedite repairs and rebuilding. In these scenarios, it is important to keep receipts and records for temporary repairs, as the insurance company will likely reimburse you.

Hiring A Roofing Contractor – What to Look For

Natural disasters and severe weather events tend to attract some of the worst characters in the roofing business that prey on unsuspecting property owners who are under pressure to get things back to normal.

Replacing the roof of a building is a significant investment that needs to be done right, by a contractor that can be fully vetted and held accountable for the quality of their work. When fielding bids from contractors to repair or replace your roof, consider the following factors into the decision-making process.

Does the contractor have:

• A written proposal?
• A valid business license?
• Proof of insurance
• A permanent business location?
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of your roofing system?
• Up-to-date industry education?
• Financial stability?
• Material and installation warranties?
• A maintenance proposal?
• An effective safety training program?
• In-state references?

Also look for:

• Manufacturer certifications.
• Proof of continuous training.
• Roofing association memberships.
• Industry awards and recognition.
• Good and bad press or reviews.

Be wary of contractors which:

• Provide a seemingly unrealistic high or low bid.
• Only provides out-of-state references.
• Request money before any on-site material delivery.
• Only deal in cash.
• Cannot verify their company information and statements.

A fast way to address all of the above is to request a “Roofing Contractor Qualification Statement.” This document collects in-depth company information, references, history, and financial stability neatly organized to facilitate your evaluation of that company.

Managing Your Commercial Roof Seamlessly

The weather and harsh conditions a commercial roofing system must endure dramatically influences its lifespan and necessity for repairs. When the need arises, and it eventually may, you should be prepared to quickly file a claim and call in a professional roofing contractor.

With the above information, you can now identify an emergency roofing situation, effectively work with your insurance company, and thoroughly vet the contractors bidding for your job.

Without your prompt action, your commercial building will suffer significant losses or temporary closure when severe weather leaves your roofing system vulnerable, damaged, destroyed, and leaking.

Sources:
https://www.fema.gov/
http://www.nrca.net/
https://disastersafety.org/ibhs/hiring-a-professional-commercial-contractor/
http://www.everybodyneedsaroof.com/Roofing-Information-For-Building-Owners

See Commercial Roof Repair, Insurance Claims, and Hiring Contractors for the first version of this content.