Here’s some help in finding out!

We get calls almost every time there is a storm where hail is associated with it.  Once again, over the last week, we had concentrations of hail pellets reported – of all sizes – in our area.  As you know, if you have lived in Middle Tennessee long enough, we probably haven’t seen the last of it this year. 

Sometimes, those icy pellets can cause damage to your home or auto, and you don’t even realize it. Hopefully, this blog will give you signs to look for that will help you to better determine if you are the victim of hail damage. 

First thing: contact a professional you trust.  We get a lot of reports from our clients that “bad actors take advantage of a bad situation,” and they knock on your door with ALL the right solutions.  Not necessarily!  Their advice could cause you to pay for their bad recommendations

During a storm when any of us make our way to our ‘safe places’, we may hear pings and pangs on our windows.  The first thought is: “that is hail hitting my home!”  

Qualified professionals can access a report that shows you that an inch and three-quarters hail was in your neighborhood that night.  

The same professional can ‘drone it’ to go above your home, get closeup shots of your roof to determine damage there as well.  They can discover the size hail that might have hit your home and determine if the hail you saw or heard damaged your roof. In many cases, there isn’t as much damage as the we might think.

After that type of quality assessment, you will learn you won’t have to consider a repair or new roof. 

Here are some things to look for:

• Look at the top of your HVAC or your gutters.  If the hail hits and scratches off,  there could be spots where the actual hail removed oxidation from the gutters and HVAC system.  If you are able to find evidence of this, you wouldn’t need to worry much about it. If it’s over an inch, then that’s the type of hail that can impact shingles. If it’s two inches, that’s the kind that will affect your home.
• Your gutters could also show signs.  They can collect roof material knocked off by a storm that resembles kitty litter that would remble the color of your roof.  If you have a kitty litter, that means your roof is definitely deteriorating
• If your car is parked outside (hopefully not), check it out for those same pings on the top.  If you can’t really detect any, then you will KNOW your roof damage is not insurance claim worthy.

Always have some updated pictures of your home, gutter and HVAC unit(s) so you can compare before and after a storm.  That will give you more proof of the current damage if you were to have an insurance claim.  

Hopefully, this will give you solid information to refer to if you do think hail is causing you trouble.  At Benton White Insurance, we ask that you call us BEFORE you file a claim for roof damage.  We can save you money and time.  Those “bad actors” will knock on your door and offer you more than they can deliver – almost every time.  We can help you cut through all of that.

THANK YOU for your trust in what we do.  We’re here to help.  Let us help you if you have a claim. We will make it much easier on you for sure.

TEXT or CALL us at 615.377.1212 or EMAIL us at info@BentonWhite.com.  Also, on our website – BentonWhite.com, you can get more claim information and file a claim from the site.  Let us know how we can help you as we ‘earn’ your business!