By Bill Garwood
For the Journal-Constitution
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Most of us are familiar with the old proverb: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” This proverb appears to be playing out in metro Atlanta and now in North Georgia.
Less than scrupulous roofing companies —- some local, some from out of state —- are currently going door to door offering free assessments of roofs for potential hail damage. Not surprisingly they are finding it. In many cases, these companies will even facilitate the homeowner’s claim with his or her insurance company.
The attraction to this scheme is natural. New roofs cost thousands of dollars. Who wouldn’t want their insurance to cover this cost? Unfortunately, the truth is that hail damage is much less common and destructive than these roofing companies would like you to believe.
Some facts
To understand why hail damage is not so destructive it’s helpful to know a little about how common asphalt composition shingles are made. Trying to keep it simple, the base mat of asphalt composition shingles is made of either paper or glass fiber. The base mats are coated with an asphalt mixture including some mineral stabilizers.
On top of this, granules are applied. The granules are usually crushed stone coated with a ceramic material. It is the granules that give the shingles their color. The granules also help protect the shingles from the effects of the sun.
It is the loss of the granules and the subsequent exposure of the asphaltic mat that can result in real damage to the shingles. Because shingles begin losing granules the day they are manufactured, shingle manufacturers typically install excess granules. In most cases hail does not remove enough granules to compromise the shingles.
The scam
If your car tires fail and you make a claim against the tire manufacturer’s warranty, the manufacturer will prorate the value of the existing tires based upon their age. The same is true of a warranty from a shingle manufacturer.
The warranty will pay out less on a 15-year-old shingle than on a 5-year-old shingle. This is not true, however, for the insurance coverage on a hail-damaged roof.
The insurance company will pay the same amount for replacement of a 15-year-old roof as they would for replacement of a 5-year-old roof. This makes insurance claims for hail damage extremely tempting. The insurance companies will send out an adjuster to determine if the damage is real. In many cases the adjusters do not get on the roof and actually count on a roofer’s eyes to make their assessment.
The problem
You may ask: “If my insurance company says they will pay why should I care?” Insurance companies are not in the business of losing money. If enough of these claims are paid out, we will all eventually suffer in the form of higher insurance premiums.
In addition to this longer- term problem, there are numerous reports of the “hail chasers” doing substandard or incomplete work.
Avoiding the scam
The following is a simple list of precautions that, if followed, should minimize your chances of having a bad roofing experience.
> Always get assessments and estimates from several roofing contractors. Have roofers give you references you can call.
> Carefully read any document that you are asked to sign. Even better, have it reviewed by an attorney.
> Have the roofer you choose provide you with receipts from the roofing supply company ensuring that they have paid for the shingles and call to verify that the bill has been paid.
> Have the roofer you choose provide you with a waiver of lien for themselves and any sub-contractors they may use.
> Consider hiring an independent roofing consultant or home inspector to assess your roof.
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