Originally posted may 28
Wind Storm
On Friday May 4th 2018, Ottawa was host to a substantial wind storm. Weatherstats.ca tell us wind gusts reached 97km/h, which is significant because that is approximately the wind resistance of lower grade 3-tab shingles. You may have noticed homes in your area with missing shingles, or possibly your home was missing shingles.
What should you do?
Try to assess the damage.
- Not always easy but try to see your roof. Look for areas where there are colour differences from missing shingles. There may be some flashing that has come undone as well. Binoculars might come in handy for low pitch roof where you need to stand back significantly.
- Are there shingles in your yard? Are they the same type and colour as your roof? If not, it’s not your roof but shingles that were blown away from one your neighbours. You may want to let your neighbour know.
If you see exposed plywood, then you need to act quickly. Rain will find it’s way in. If you have some underlayment under your missing shingles (typically black), this might buy you a little time, but your roof is susceptible to a leak and still needs attention quickly.
If a tree or large branch fell and perforated your roof then you should call your insurance.
Should you call you insurance agent or a roofing contractor?
It depends on the extent of the damage. You must weigh the cost of the repair versus your deductible. A small repair with less than 10 shingles to replace, might cost you $300-$500 or more (without an insurance report). The problem is the new shingles, even if they are the same make and colour will look different, since they are new and haven’t discoloured yet. The older the roof, the more noticeable the difference. If you have missing shingles on many elevations (or a big elevation) and you are concerned with colour harmony than a claim might be in your best interest. Your insurance might opt to replace each elevation where shingles are missing.
How can Rancourt Roofing help?
Whether you need an insurance report and/or a repair, we can help. We have literally done thousands of insurance reports and thousands of repairs. We know what information your claims adjuster wants, and we offer a comprehensive report with pictures and diagrams. We typically do emergency repairs at the same time. Ask your adjuster to get an insurance report and temporary repairs from Rancourt Roofing.
Will Rancourt Roofing do an insurance report directly for you the homeowner?
We can…but typically we don’t. The main reason is we don’t know how much damage or how much work it will be, so we can’t give a fixed price. If we don’t find any wind damage then no claim can be made and you will need to absorb the cost for the insurance report. If you plan to make a claim, then call your adjuster first (still let them know you want Rancourt to take care of repairs and insurance reports).
What if you don’t want to deal with repairs ever again?
Shingles have gotten a lot better over the years. This might be because states with frequent hurricanes and storms have demanded higher building code standards. In Florida for example, the building code for shingles requires that they be resistant to winds of 160.9 km/h (100mp/h) the equivalent of a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Some lower end 3-tab shingles in Canada only offer wind resistance up to 60mp/h (approx. 97 km/h). That does not offer a lot of peace of mind. Rancourt Roofing can install shingles that have 200km/h wind resistance or more! And the price difference is negligible.
What if you don’t want to worry about hail?
Hail storms are also becoming recurrent and serious. Shingles can also be classified for their resistance to hail.
During a Class 4 impact resistance test on asphalt shingles, a 2” diameter steel ball is dropped from 20’ onto the shingle to simulate the impact of hail. This is done twice in the same spot. This process is then repeated on 6 different spots. A shingle passes the test if it does not show any visible evidence of tearing, fracturing, cracking, splitting, rupture, crazing, or other opening of the roof-covering layer.
Source: https://malarkeyroofing.com/blog/detail/what-is-class-4-impact-resistance.
These shingles tend to have phenomenal wind resistance as well. The best ones can have a rating of 140mp/h (225km/h).
The takeaway…
Scientists say storms now are more frequent and more destructive and will likely become more severe in the future. Rancourt Roofing can offer you peace of mind for decades to come. When storms strike, you no longer need to cross your fingers and hope for the best. Simply choose the best.