1" Hail in DFW - Gearing Up For This Massive Storm!

Just thought I should annoy Natty. :--)

natty Said:

Roofguy Said: Assuming you are right, so you are saying that the homeowner should get no compensation after a bunch of UV-blocking granules were knocked off, causing the roof to last 20 years instead of 30?

No, I am saying that it is insane to leave the decision in the hands of some 3rd party profiteer. The decision should be made by the property owner and a trustworthy roofer, period.

We agree on that one.

Roofguy Said: Assuming you are right, so you are saying that the homeowner should get no compensation after a bunch of UV-blocking granules were knocked off, causing the roof to last 20 years instead of 30?

CIAK Said: If I understand the premis new roofs increase insurance premiums-Here Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day a new roof + wind mitigation 4 point inspection reduces the premium as much as half. Puts a 12 penny nail in the argument coffin for new roofs increase premiums.

It is so crazy in N. Texas that 2 years ago, I installed a Malarkey Legacy impact resistant shingle on a house. Of course, the insurance company requires verification from the roofer that the proper shingle was installed, so I prepared the paper work for the client to get their 40% discount on future premiums. They didn't want it. Their insurance agency scared them into believing that if they took the discount, they would no longer get "cosmetic damage", and the policy would only pay if the hail caused damage that leaked.

It is so crazy in N. Texas that for what property owners pay over in premiums, I could install a new roof every 4 to 5 years.

CIAK Said: Its a for profit business.

CIAK Said: If I understand the premis new roofs increase insurance premiums-Here Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day a new roof + wind mitigation 4 point inspection reduces the premium as much as half. Puts a 12 penny nail in the argument coffin for new roofs increase premiums. B) :) :) B) Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day

And that's a great point. In my experience rarely does an insurance carrier inspect the roof prior to writing coverage. They should - they should probably certify and pay roofers to do that.

If they did nothing, the roof would still last 20-25 years.

First off, that's just a guess. Assuming you are right, so you are saying that the homeowner should get no compensation after a bunch of UV-blocking granules were knocked off, causing the roof to last 20 years instead of 30?

If I understand the premis new roofs increase insurance premiums-Here Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day a new roof + wind mitigation 4 point inspection reduces the premium as much as half. Puts a 12 penny nail in the argument coffin for new roofs increase premiums. B) :) :) B) Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day

This debate has been in existence for decades. It's important to understand what insurance is. Insurance is the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another in exchange for payment. It is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. An insurer, or insurance carrier, is selling the insurance; the insured, or policyholder, is the person or entity buying the insurance policy. The amount of money to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage is called the premium. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and practice. The transaction involves the insured assuming a guaranteed and known relatively small loss in the form of payment to the insurer in exchange for the insurer's promise to compensate (indemnify) the insured in the case of a financial (personal) loss. The insured receives a contract, called the insurance policy, which details the conditions and circumstances under which the insured will be financially compensated. It's a for profit business. B) :) :) B) Deep Down In Florida Where The Sun Shines Damn Near Every Day

clvr83 Said: There has to be a better system.

One solution is to create home maintenance accounts which always remain the property of the property owners, similar to what some politicians proposed as health care accounts. Then leave rare, catastrophic events to the insurance companies.

Insurance, properly administered, can only cover rare, catastrophic events. That way society can properly spread the risk. Then minor, everyday issues can be dealt with by individuals at their whim out of their personal accounts. What we have now is some capitalist money manager betting that they can collect more in premiums than they pay out in benefits.

Roofguy Said: So, how do you propose the homeowner gets the granules back on his shingles after 25% of it was abrade off by hail, or are you saying the granules serve no purpose in the longevity of a roof? Look up: UV degradation. Granules are put there for a reason other than aesthetics.

My point is that there is a consortium of special interests which I call the storm chasing racket, whose only concern is padding their own pockets at the expense of naive property owners. It is an insane vicious circle.

I've sent too many good roofs to the dump for no reason. There has to be a better system.

It's great when needed, but I'd say 1/4 or less of the hail damage I've seen around here should have been totaled. One super storm in 2009 and the game is forever different. 1.75-2.5" hail, I can't remember & 109mph inline winds)

Now I'm sucked in. If the homeowners ask if I see any damage and I have a suspicion it will be bought, I turn it in.

Natty, I'm ok with you thinking there are few real hailstorm in North Texas. I wish more roofers thought that way - it leaves more roofs for me.

The reality is this: North Texas gets golfball (1.75") hail frequently. Golfball sized hail will nearly always damage shingle roofs and commercial. If it is soft, that's another matter but it usually isn't because the dynamic that formed the hailstone, usually means it was subjected to freezing temps for an extended time, repeatedly.

Note I didn't say "total" I said damage. So, how do you propose the homeowner gets the granules back on his shingles after 25% of it was abrade off by hail, or are you saying the granules serve no purpose in the longevity of a roof? Look up: UV degradation. Granules are put there for a reason other than aesthetics.

Roofguy Said:

Im afraid thats some flawed logic there. All it proves is likely that some shingles stand up to hail better than others, which we already knew.

natty Said:

This experience continues to prove that most hail storms and the storm chasing craze is nothing but a racket perpetuated by opportunistic roofers, adjusters and insurance companies who do little other than prey on naive property owners.

I'm afraid that's some flawed logic there. All it proves is likely that some shingles stand up to hail better than others, which we already knew.

That's a little like saying: I crossed Loop 635 during rush hour while blindfolded and didn't die, therefor crossing busy highways without looking is safe.

Yesterday, I looked at a roof leak up in the Valley Ranch area of north Irving, TX right in the middle of the "hail belt". All of these houses were built around '95. Most of the houses were reroofed after a storm in 2003 and the rest were reroofed after a storm in 2007. Some were roofed for the third time. I have done several repairs on bad jobs by storm chasers from these storms. The house I looked at still had its original roof- probably Tamko Heritage 30. It is now 20 years old and the leak I investigated had nothing to do with any storm. The leak came from a bad flashing job on a wall and from several exposed staples- all workmanship issues.

This experience continues to prove that most hail storms and the storm chasing craze is nothing but a racket perpetuated by opportunistic roofers, adjusters and insurance companies who do little other than prey on naive property owners.