An Arizona Wind Claim or Hail Claim

Although hail and high winds aren’t as common in Arizona as they are in other states, we do have seasonal monsoon storms with wind, as well as an occasional hail storm with hailstones large enough to damage property (as we did in October 2010).

A Wind Claim

To minimize wind damage, it’s always a good idea to keep any branches near your property trimmed. Also, clear any debris from your property which could be blown against walls, windows, or vehicles, causing damage.

Having a current home inventory will help in the event that your home is severely damaged by a storm. If you’ve never done a home inventory, we’d be happy to give you some pointers on how to complete a thorough one.

If high winds damage your home or business, first get your family or employees (if the damage occurs at work) to a safe location. Contact Property Claim Adjusters for a free inspection and claim review. If it is safe to make temporary repairs, go ahead and do so to prevent more damage.

If you have suffered damage to your home or business as the result of a storm, you likely have many unanswered questions about how the insurance settlement process works. Keep in mind that it is a process that needs to be worked through step-by-step. At Property Claim Adjusters, our Public Adjusters prepare, file, and negotiate maximum dollar settlements of your insurance damage claims. We understand the language of the insurance company and we can help you get ever dollar you’re entitled to for the repair or replacement of your damaged property.

Signs of damage to your roof due to high winds can be difficult to assess from the ground, so it takes a close inspection to determine if any damage has occurred.

Things we look for:

• Loose and missing shingles – This is the most telling sign that wind has damaged your roof and should be remedied immediately. If you have shingles that are damaged, then they run the risk of failing. If shingles are missing completely, then that exposes your roof and property to water damage that could end up costing you down the road.
• Loose or exposed nails – Having nails exposed on your roof may not seem like something to worry about, but the truth is that if you have exposed nails on your roof, then your structure is potentially vulnerable to leaks and water damage in the interior when it rains.
• Damaged gutters – If you experience a storm that’s powerful enough, it could easily damage the gutters that you rely on to carry rain water away from your roof. Wind damage to your gutters could pull sections of them away from your roof, meaning that they will need to be reinstalled or completely replaced in order to function the way they’re supposed to.
• Damaged windows – Often windows are overlooked. Untrimmed trees and wind-driven debris can crack windows and bend frames.
• Damaged screen enclosures – Large screen enclosures suffer from extreme pressure during windstorm. Torn screens, broken doors, and entire collapse are all posible during a windstorm.
• Damaged fences – Fences are often overlooked when it comes to wind damage. Homeowners often assume that if the fence is standing that it is undamaged. At Property Claim Adjusters, our public adjusters will inspect your fence after a windstorm. We will look at the post, gates, framing and boards.

These are just a few of the signs that your property’s roof, gutters, screen enclosure, etc., have suffered damage from winds following a recent storm – but they aren’t the only ones.

When inside your home, it’s a good idea to look for signs of water damage as well. These signs can include soft spots and waters stains.

These are clear signs that you have a leak somewhere on your roof, possibly caused by wind damage exposing your roof to the elements.

What you can do

If you’ve noticed signs that wind has damaged your roof, there are things you can do.

First and foremost, pools of standing water caused by leaks should be cleaned up and the sources of those leaks should be located, if possible. To prevent further damage, you will need to initiate the right kind of roof repair, which can vary depending on the type of roof that you have. Because wind damage is something that all types of rooftops are susceptible to, you will need help in figuring out how to best protect your structure.

That’s where we come in. Property Claim Adjusters is your full-service claims settlement partner. Our highly qualified Public Adjusters will assist you throughout the entire claims proccess – from protecting your property immediately after the damage, all the way through to the settlement of your claim.

Our team of Appraisers, Estimators and Public Adjusters will work to procure the best possible outcome from your wind claim.

A Hail Claim

So, you’ve experienced hail damage. You may have thought to yourself that you remember the hail storm, but looked up at your roof and really didn’t notice any damage. The fact is you can’t see hail storm damage from the ground and most home inspectors have not received any formal training on hail damage to roofs. In order to know if your home or business has actual hail damage, the roof must be inspected by a person who has training, knowledge, and experience in being able to correctly identify what hail damage looks like. When you have hail damage, you will see some of the tiny granules of a roof missing and over time the roof damage will get progressively worse, likely shortening the lifespan of your roof. Ultimately, if not corrected, your roof will end up leaking.

Even if your roof has minimal damage, you have a valid insurance claim and should file a claim with your insurance company. The damage caused by a hail storm might not cause your roof to leak for years. This makes it very critical to have a qualified person inspect your roof. Our team of experts has a combined 60+ years of experience dealing with these types of issues.

So what do you do if you think you may have hail damage to your roof and want to file an insurance claim? Get Help!! Contact Property Claim Adjusters to review your policy and verify if you have the proper coverage. After our experienced and knowledgeable adjusters inspect your loss, and justify that you, in fact, have hail damage, we will assist you with filing a claim. We will meet with the insurance company’s adjuster and justify your damage with proper estimates. We will assist you in receiving the maximum settlement for your loss. Contact us today for a free claim evaluation.