2009 September

Archive for September, 2009

Woodbury Hail Damage Roofer

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Woodbury Hail Damage Roofer

Woodbury roofer, hail damage in Woodbury MN, Woodbury roofing contractor

The season for hail damage seems to have left its mark in Woodbury, Minnesota. Because of this, individuals have to call a Woodbury hail damage roofer to assess the damage and then arrange for repairs on that roof or a complete roof replacement. Eventually, the hail damage that has occurred will take such a toll on the roof that it will need to be replaced anyway, but that could be when the damage goes beyond the shingles.

So the main question here is whether or not hail damage in Woodbury MN could result in you having to have your roof replaced?

What to look for:

After a hail storm, it is a good idea to call a Woodbury roofer for the fact that the sooner you have the damage taken care of, the less damage other areas of your home may see. This also means that you’ll be less likely to sustain even further damage to those areas that have seen slight damage the next time a hail storm rolls around.

If you decide to take a look yourself before calling a Woodbury roofer to take a look, you want to look for bruising on the surface of the shingle. You also want to see if the asphalt on asphalt shingles is exposed due to granules that are missing. You also want to:

•    Take a look at your downspouts and see if granulation has accumulated there.
•    Your shingles will have soft spots where the impact took place.
•    Metal air vents may be damaged significantly.
•    Your gutters and the siding to your home may also be damaged.

You want to look at all of these areas of damage, but make sure you call a Minnesota roofing contractor even if you do not see signs of damage because the signs can be as small as a crack in the shingle that is hard to see. These cracks can ultimately lead to leaks.

How fast should you take action?

As for how fast you should take action, you should call a contractor as soon as the hail storm has left its hail damage in Woodbury to collect for hail damage. Don’t hesitate for a moment because time is money in these situations. Although the main aspect of your roof that may be affected is its longevity, it has been weakened by the storm. Even if it is just your air vents and gutters that have sustained bad damage, they need to be taken care of as well because they are important parts of your roofing.

You also want to call your insurance company and see what your homeowner’s insurance policy says about roofing. You may also wish to look into hail damage insurance so that you can specifically have hail damage covered.

In the meantime, make sure you contact Berkeshire Exteriors at 763-746-4913 to take the first step toward taking care of your hail damage. You don’t want to wait too long or you will have more than your roof to worry about as it rains and begins to snow as we progress through the seasons.

Woodbury Hail Damage Claim Denied
Woodbury Roofing Contractor

Tags: Roofing Hail Damage Woodbury, Woodbury hail damage August 2009, Woodbury Roofer Hail Damage
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Woodbury MN Hail Damage Roofer

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Woodbury Hail Damage Roofer

Hail damage roofer in Woodbury, Woodbury roofer, Minnesota roofing contractor

When it comes to hail damage, it seems that different people have different perspectives on the matter. However, there have been studies on hail damage that plagues Minnesota and states all over the country each and every year. Most of these studies are conducted by the insurance companies, which in turn, does result in a different perspective. For instance, you may hear a different definition of hail damage to a roof. This is so money can be saved on the insurance company’s end. This may result in denied insurance claims and the need to have a new roof without any money to pay for it.

Fortunately, this is not the case with all insurance companies. You can call a hail damage roofer in Woodbury and have them inspect the roof and tell you your options so that you can take the information back to your insurance company.

But let’s take a look at what your Woodbury roofer, the manufacturer of your roofing, and the insurance companies have to say about hail damage.

A Minnesota roofing contractor

No matter where you are in Minnesota, whether it is Woodbury MN or elsewhere, a Minnesota roofing contractor will explain to you why it is you need to have hail damaged roofing fixed or replaced as soon as possible. Even if your roof is not leaking now, it may leak in the future.

Some may say that this is just a way for a hail damage roofer in Woodbury to make money, but that’s not true. The idea is to work within your budget so that you can have a leak free roof without having to pay your life’s savings.

The manufacturer

Manufacturers exclude hail damage from their warranties. However, the hail does have to be greater than ¾ of an inch before the warranty is void, but that is a very small size and most hail that impacts Minnesota is larger than ¾ of an inch. In the case of asphalt shingles, it is because hail of that size will remove the granules from the shingle and expose the asphalt bedding. UV rays can then get to the asphalt, as can the weather.

The insurance company

In the case of what the insurance company may say, there are insurance companies that do not define a roof as being damaged by hail unless it has been punctured. Again, this is not the case with all insurance companies. You can learn more about this from your Woodbury roofer. However, the idea is to call your Woodbury roofer and have them inspect the roof after the storm and tell you the extent of the damage.

A hail damage roofer in Woodbury MN can look at your roofing and tell you the difference between hail damage and wear and tear. You can then take the information to your insurance company and see about having part or all of the cost of repair taken care of. If not, the Minnesota roofing contractor will work with you according to your budget.

So to get started, call Berkeshire Exteriors at 763-746-4913 and have your damage assessed immediately.

Hail Claim Denied Woodbury MN

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Twin Cities Hail Damage Roofer

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Twin Cities Hail Damage Roofer

Twin Cities hail damage, hail damage roofer in the Twin Cities, Minnesota roofer

What truly constitutes hail damage? This is a good question because there are so many different variations of hail damage. Some don’t consider it damage unless there are holes in a roof. Some consider it damage if there is the slightest dent in the roofing. Nevertheless, it is important to note that anything that compromises the quality of your roofing is damaged. If it is dented, scratched, or punctured, that is not good. Your hail damage roofer in the Twin Cities will tell you this.

Let’s take Asphalt shingles in Minnesota, for example. They are the most commonly used type of roofing because of their affordability and they are aesthetically appealing to your home. However, they can take on an amazing amount of damage due to a hail storm.

The parts of an asphalt shingle

When Twin Cities hail damage happens, there are different parts of the shingle that can be compromised. Those parts are the granules that protect the asphalt from UV and weather damage. The asphalt is also backed by a fiber glass backing.

Each part of the shingle is very important. For instance, the fiber glass backing may be on the bottom, but it is designed to make the asphalt mat last longer. And not only do the granules look nice and protect the asphalt, but they are also fire resistant. That way if your neighbor’s home catches fire, you have a lesser chance of your roof catching fire. But if you have areas on your roof that are missing those important granules because of hail damage, your fire risk increases.

Furthermore, when you have granules missing, the UV rays and the elements simply wear on those shingles. Eventually they are no good and you may experience leaks. This can cause the plywood under the shingles to become weak from saturation and can cause an even bigger roofing issue that will be more expensive. A Minnesota roofer can come to your home to prevent this as long as you call after a hail storm occurs.

This shows how even the slightest alteration in your shingles can result in long term problems that you don’t know about until it is too late.

The size of hail

The size of the hail also plays a very important role in how much damage occurs to your shingles. Most manufacturers state that the warranty is void if hail larger than ¾ of an inch strikes the roof and damages it. This is because the manufacturers truly can’t control hail and it would not be economically feasible for them to fit the bill for it every time hail hits the Twin Cities or any suburb in Minnesota. However, you can call a hail damage roofer in the twin cities and take their assessment to your insurance company.
To get started, call Berkeshire Exteriors to take care of your hail damage now. It doesn’t matter the size of the hail or how long ago it occurred. The sooner you call, the better off your roof and your home.

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Tags: hail damage roof, hail damage roofing contractor, roofing contractor mn
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Minnesota Wood Shake Roofing Damage

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Wood Roof Shingle Problems | Minnesota Wood Shake Roofing Damage

Wood shingles and shakes in the United States most commonly are manufactured from western red cedar. This specific cedar is characterized by its fine and even grain, high strength to weight ratio, relatively low moisture-induced expansion and contraction, and durability. Other woods such as northern white cedar, aspen, red oak, redwood, and yellow pine also are used to produce shingles and shakes. Unfortunately, these woods (for roofing purposes) are of lesser quality than western red cedar.

Western Red Cedar

The manufacturer of Minnesota wood roofing begins with the trees logged from the forest. The trees are sawn into sections (the length of the finished product) which then are split into more manageable blocks (pie- shaped sections), called “bolts.” Boards or blanks for shingles and taper-sawn shakes are sawn from bolts and then run diagonally through the band saw. Blanks for hand-split and re-sawn shakes are split from bolts and similarly run obliquely through the band saw to produce split faces and sawn backs. Taper-split and straight-split shakes are split from blots and have both split faces and split backs. Shakes, the years past, were hand split with a froe and mallet. Now, almost all shakes are split off the bolts with a hydraulic machine called a guillotine.
In order to recognize causes of damage to wood roofing, it is helpful to understand the properties of wood itself. One should understand the manufacturing process and proper wood shingle or Minnesota wood shake roofing installation procedures so the problems of both can easily be recognized. Additionally, one must learn to recognize the effects of normal aging as well as the effects of natural and ma made perils. It is often as important to understand what something is as it is to understand what something is not.
Wood shingles or shakes, the weathering of a wood roof, undergo physical changes during there intended lifetimes. The wood roofing ages naturally (weathers) due to exposure to the elements and becomes older. Wood defects and common installation deficiencies can promote more rapid deterioration. Sudden damage reducing the water-shedding capacity and/or the expected long term serviceability or a roof could be due to natural (wind or hail) as well as manmade (install etc.) causes.

Hail Damage Wood Shingles and Cedar Shake Roofing Hail Damage

Hail Caused Damage – Natural Versus Artificial

Wood shingles and MN wood shakes are damaged by hail when the impact energy of a striking hailstone is sufficient to break the wood, thereby compromising one ply of the roofing and producing two narrow shingles (or shakes) each secured by only one fastener. A split may reduce the service of the roof, hence, constitutes damage. Occasionally, hailstones will puncture wood roofing and wood shake units.
Hailstones vary in size, shape, and hardness. Thus, hail impact-caused marks have various sizes, shapes, and depths. Additionally, the pattern of marks across surfaces illustrates the random nature of falling hail. Generally, during the hail storm, the larger the hail, the fewer and farther apart the markings are on the roof.
Generally speaking, hail is not selective. Hail impacts are of varying size, shape, depth, will also be found on metal vents, flashing, and or air conditioning units, are in the same direction as the nature of the damage on the roof. Due to hail fall angles, impacts should be consistent from a directional standpoint. Meaning, windward slopes typically sustain more damage than leeward slopes. The extents of damage to roof slopes facing different directions can be quite different if the hail is wind driven.

Hail Damage To Cedar Shake

Artificial MN Wood Shake Damage – Intentional Wood Shake Damage

Naturally occurring hail has characteristics which result in damage distinctly different from deliberately inflicted mechanical damage. Factors which separate natural from deliberately caused impact marks include the size of individual marks as well as the distribution of the marls on a wood roof or wood shake roofing system. Intentionally inflicted damage typically involves impact marks of constant size, shape, pattern, depth etc. The bottom portions of marks made with a metal object are smooth and shiny – a condition that ice or falling hail, made of material much softer than metal. Intentional damage is made in the same spot, on separate shingles. In this case, it’s common that no damage supporting size, direction, or relative hardness is found on adjacent metal vents or soft metal in the damaged region.

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Minneapolis Storm Damage Companies | MPLS Storm Damage

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Minnesota hail damage repair, Minneapolis roofing company, roof replacement in Minnesota

When a severe hail storm blow through Minnesota, the first question a homeowner may ask is, “should I replace my roof?” The answer to this question is that you may not have to as long as you’re dealing with the right Minneapolis roofing company.

You see, just as hail comes in all different shapes and sizes, the damage occurs in all different shapes and sizes. It may also be sporadic in that hail hit your roof all over, but only certain areas sustained damage. If that’s the cause, then Minnesota hail damage repair should be enough to take care of the issue.

However, when the damage is too extensive to just repair spots, then roof replacement will be needed

Roof replacement Minneapolis

Roof replacement in Minnesota is something that many have had to do. They either do it because they’ve had to deal with extensive hail damage or they have done it because their roof is old and they want to avoid having to contend with severe hail damage.

You see, Minneapolis hail damage can become so severe that a roof can literally become punctured. This means that the hail can penetrate through the plywood that is underneath your shingles. In this case, you have more than just roofing to replace, but a piece of the top of your home. How this damage occurs depends on the pitch and the slop of your roof. If the impact is direct, then there is a good chance that damage will occur. If the impact is not direct and the hail “skims” or “deflects” off of the roof based on its slope, there is a possibility that there won’t be as much damage. Wind also plays a role in this. If the wind is blowing the hail, that can have an impact on how it hits your roof and how much damage it causes.

But no matter whether you’re told you need total roof replacement or that you simply need repairs, you will need to consult with your insurance company regarding what your policy says about hail and see how your insurance company defines hail damage. Some do not define hail damage as true hail damage unless the roof has been punctured in some way.

Roof repair MPLS

Of course roof repair is going to be cheaper than completely repairing your roof. A Minneapolis roofing company will tell you whether you can get by with a repair. If you can, you may still wish to consult with your insurance company and see what you can have done. You may be able to receive full or partial coverage for your damage. No matter the outcome, Minnesota hail damage repair can be done in the way that best fits your particular budget. Simply tell your Minneapolis roofing company what you can and cannot afford. You can only work with what you have, so make sure you have as many options reviewed with you as possible.

In order to get started in determining whether or not you need your roof replaced, call Berkeshire Exteriors at 763-746-4913 so that you can receive a fair estimate and opinion about what needs to be done to make your roof right again.

Get your Free Hail Damage Special Report “9 Critical Things You Must Know Before You Call Your Insurance Company”

Call today for a complementary, comprehensive hail damage consultation. Call the trusted local Minneapolis Roofing Company ~ (763) 746-4913.

Tags: haag certified roof inspector, minneapolis roofing contractor, Minnesota roofing contractor, roofing contractor mn
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