Hail damage can pose a major risk to any property, and Coloradans are no strangers to inclement weather involving hail. In the midst of a particularly severe storm, you may be more focused on calming down your children or animals, but after the fact, you’re most likely left wondering what could have gone wrong in the midst of all of the bluster.
When the coast is clear, you’ll want to take a few steps as you see what impact the storm had on your home and property. Thanks to high winds and the weight of hail, some storms are more problematic than others, but if you follow the ABCs of dealing with hail storms, you’ll always know what to do.
Assess the severity of the damage.
The first thing that you should do after any major storm is head outside (when it’s safe to do so, of course) and take a look at the damages. While you can certainly check on windows, your vehicle, and the siding of your home on foot, you’ll need a ladder to check out your roof.
It’s important to wait until things are a bit dryer if you plan on going onto your roof since slick spots could cause you to slip and fall. If you aren’t comfortable going on the roof, now’s the time to contact one of the many roofers Denver is home to. They’ll be willing to assess the damage for you and help you understand what damage, if any, was caused by the hail. In fact, many companies even offer free roof inspections.
Buy yourself some time.
Depending on how old your roof is and the size and severity of the hail storm, you may find yourself with particularly bad damage to your roof that jeopardizes the interior of your home. Golfball or softball-sized hail could cause punctures to your roof, which may, in turn, cause leaks and other complications. It may not be possible to fix these issues immediately, but you should take temporary actions which can help you buy yourself some time.
These sorts of immediate tasks include covering any holes in your windows or roof with plastic tarps or trash bags and remove any valuables that may be at risk because of the damage. If the damage is especially serious or has caused a leak or debris to fall into your home, be sure to clean up the affected room as best as you can and put down a bucket to catch anything that may continue to drop or drip.
Call your insurer and a repair company.
Although there are certain steps you can take to buy yourself some time it’s crucial that you get any damage to your home done as quickly as possible before any additional issues arise from the initial damage. Even if you’re planning on filing an insurance claim, it’s a good idea to reach out to a repair company as soon as you can, since if the damage was common in your region or neighborhood you may have to wait a little bit to have a professional come and handle your roof repair.
That being said, once you’ve scheduled an appointment, it’s a good idea to reach out to your home insurance company so that you can have them begin filing a claim on your behalf. Especially if there are many houses in your neighborhood with damage to their roofs or gutters, insurance claims may take a bit longer to come to fruition. The same can be said of getting an appointment with a Denver roofing contractor following a severe hail storm, so be sure to act quickly if you’re serious about protecting your home or getting a roof replacement.
