1. Note the date. If you know for sure that you’ve recently had a hail storm, note the date. You’ll need this date to file a claim. If you didn’t take pictures of the hail storm yourself, do an internet search with the name of your city and the keywords, “hail storm.” You will likely find a lot of pictures of people showing the size of the hail. Save a few to show the agent.
2. Get a qualified opinion. If you suspect you have damage to your roof from a hail storm, get an opinion from a qualified roofing company. Emmons Roofing & Siding specializes in roofing and insurance claims. We will come out and give you a free inspection for roof damage, and we can also meet with your insurance adjuster and act as a liaison between you and your insurance company, to help get you the reimbursement you deserve.
3. Filing the claim. This is the easy part. If your roofing company recommends that you call in a claim, just call your insurance company and tell them you want to file a claim for hail damage. They will then request all the pertinent dates and data from you and will probably also ask if you have any interior damage. Also know that in most states you have up to one year to file a claim for damage. Although we don’t recommend you wait that long, just make sure you know what the date(s) of the hail storms were. Also, don’t worry about how old your roof is because it doesn’t matter. The insurance company will look at your claim and settle it if you have damage no matter how old it is. The last thing they want is for your roof to fail (leak) and you put an even larger claim in.
4. After the insurance adjuster leaves. If your insurance company has given you a favorable indication about a settlement, the next thing you want to do is make sure you get a written quote from the roofing company you’ve been working with. Start thinking about which one you are going to select, and make sure you take into consideration a company’s reputation and not just the price or discounted rates they’re offering you (see our blog, “How to Choose a Roofing Contractor“). If you had hail damage, then it is likely your neighbors had damage, and you may benefit by recommending a roofer to them (Emmons Roofing & Siding offers a referral award).
5. Getting the work done. If your insurance company approves your claim, you will most likely get enough, less your deductible, to complete the work. If it’s not enough, your contractor can help you dispute the amount based on the work needed. Don’t be alarmed if your insurance company depreciated the amount allocated for repairs because of the roof age. They are just holding back some of the money until the work is complete. So, if they hold back $700 for depreciation and the actual cost of work is a little more than they sent you, send them a letter of completion from your contractor with the exact amount when the work is done and they’ll send you the difference. And that’s it; a new roof for the price of your deductible!

If you have any questions, Emmons Roofing & Siding can fix your roofing and work directly with your insurance company regarding the claim.

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How Are Roofing Shingles Recycled?

What happens to your old roofing material and shingles after they’ve been recycled? Asphalt shingles get recycled as asphalt paving, pothole filler, and new shingles. One roof can become about 300 feet of highway! Metal waste, such as nails and flashing, also gets recycled and reprocessed into new materials such as cans and street signs. And wood waste can be recycled as mulch, animal bedding, and other products. Every year millions of tons of roofing shingles are torn off, which can be used to create a lot of new roads and other products.

Although recycling programs and resources are steadily increasing, not all roofing contractors recycle. Roof recycling involves some extra steps in the cleanup process, the most important of which is “source separation” (separating of different types of debris at the job site, such as shingles, tar paper, metal, wood, and other waste materials). Contractors that are dedicated to making a difference in the environment are committed to recycling and willing to take extra steps toward achieving a healthier ecosystem. It just makes good sense to take advantage of that opportunity to do something good for the environment!

We at Emmons Roofing & Siding have taken the Owens Corning Preferred Contractor Shingle Recycling Pledge, which allows us to offer our customers the peace of mind that your shingles won’t end up in a landfill. View our Owens Corning Recycling and other roofing credentials on our Owens Corning profile.

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Here are some steps to take:

1. • Make sure that the roofing contractor you choose is licensed in the state in which he is doing business. A licensed contractor is required by law to have his license number on all advertising, including flyers, business cards, vehicles, and websites. You have little recourse against an unlicensed, uninsured or underinsured contractor if he doesn’t start or finish the work satisfactorily, damages or gets injured on your property, or simply takes your money and disappears. So buyer beware… ask for that license number! Most states allow you to do an online license search. Even if the site is not working properly, a reputable roofing contractor will be happy to provide you with a copy of their state license. Searches for home improvement contractor licenses for NJ and PA can be made from these sites:
     • • New Jersey – Department of Law & Public Safety – Division of Consumer Affairs
       • Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General – Home Improvement Consumer Information
   • Make sure the roofing contractor is fully insured. Ask him to give you a copy of their insurance certificate. This is a necessary and perfectly legitimate request, and the only reason a contractor will not comply is if he is uninsured or underinsured. Review the insurance certificate and check the following items:

• • • Make sure that the policy has not expired. The effective and expiration dates are clearly stated on the policy; if they are not, the certificate is not valid.
    • Make sure that the policy includes “General Liability” and “Workers Compensation” insurance, which are both required by law for the contractor to do business.
    • A contractor who does roof replacement MUST have liability insurance. Look for it on the policy; it may be in a “Description of Operations” or “Additional Remarks” box towards the bottom of the page. Liability insurance for roofers is expensive, so many roofers go without it, telling you that they are fully insured when in fact they are not. What does this mean for you? YOU, the homeowner, will be liable if any part of your home (inside or out) gets damaged during roof installation, or if a worker gets injured while working on your roof!
    • Contact the insurance agency shown on the insurance certificate to confirm that all of the information on the certificate is accurate and valid. Some roofing contractors will go through great lengths to avoid expensive insurance, including fake certificates or adding false information to their existing certificates.
  • Check the roofing contractor’s status with the Better Business Bureau. Anything less than an A grade could be cause for concern. If your contractor is not listed with the BBB, or has no rating, this isn’t necessarily a red flag. But a contractor with a good reputation that has nothing to hide will want to provide as much information to the public as possible, and the Better Business Bureau is a great way to do that.

• • Do an online search for the roofing contractor, specifically reviews and testimonials. One or two negative reviews amongst a sea of positive reviews is not a cause for concern (you can’t make everyone happy, and sometimes competitors leave fake negative reviews.) But MANY negative reviews are obviously a bad sign!
  • The roofing contractor should have been in business for at least five years, although even longer is better. While working with a contractor that hasn’t been in business that long is not necessarily bad, an established contractor has more experience, skill, and has proven that he’s in it for the long haul.

• • Make sure the roofing contractor has a physical office, not just a post office box or “virtual” suite number. Although a contractor working out of his home is not a red flag, a physical office separate from the home shows that the company has “roots” and is more permanently established. Also, office personnel should answer the phone regularly, not an answering service or the company owner. You want to make sure the company has employees and doesn’t consist of just one person working out of his truck with a cell phone as an office number.
  • Look at the roofing contractor’s work vehicles. Are they in decent condition or falling apart? Contractors generally put the same level of effort into your home as they put into their equipment. Also check the license plates and make sure they are from your general region and match the area in which the contractor claims he is based. If he says he’s based in New Jersey but his license plates say Oregon, something is fishy.

• Make sure the roofing contractor is certified with the manufacturer of the products he is installing on your home, which is especially important when you get a new roof. A contractor that is certified with the manufacturer can offer better and more comprehensive warranties than a non-certified contractor, and a certified/preferred contractor often has passed certain required tests to get their certification. Even if the contractor says he is certified, confirm with the manufacturer. Most of the major manufacturers have pages on their websites that allow you to search for certified contractors.
• Does the roofing contractor have references? Not just two or five references, but many references? Can he provide a list of reviews, and can you contact those homeowners for verification?
• How did you hear about this roofing contractor? Did you find a hand-written note or poor quality flyer in your mailbox? Did someone come to your door and tell you the company has “leftover” material from another job in the area, or to sign up now to take advantage of a “limited time” offer? Or did they request a large amount of money upfront? These are all big red flags, and legitimate companies don’t use such sneaky, high-pressure tactics.

Do your homework! If any of the contractor’s claims don’t check out, no matter how small, or you just get a bad feeling about a contractor… RUN! Because roofing scams are so rampant now, there are tons of resources online to educate the public on how to avoid these scams. Just Google “roofing scam” and get informed! Contact the roofing experts at Emmons Roofing & Siding today.

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Outdoor Lighting

Who doesn’t enjoy sitting outside on a summer night? Light up the night with new outdoor light fixtures. Outdoor sconces are a beautiful way to make your nights last a little longer. Outdoor lights can be hooked up to timers, so they turn on when it gets dark and turn off in the morning. Some lights also come with motion detectors, which is a great safety feature.

House Numbers

Something as simple as updating house numbers and letters can instantly add a touch of class. Most townships ask that homeowners’ house numbers are at least 3″ tall and posted where it’s easily visible from the outside of the house, which can assist medical or fire personnel in case of an emergency. So why not make those numbers decorative? There are thousands of styles to choose from that are available online or at local home improvement stores. Luckily, this is a small project that can be done with a hammer and a few small nails.

Porch Ceiling Soffit

A very often overlooked aspect of your porch is the ceiling. Instead of having an open wood ceiling, consider solid vinyl soffits. Since the soffit is vinyl, it will never need to be scraped or painted. If it ever accumulates dirt, it can be cleaned with soap and water or a gentle power washing. Installing vinyl soffits on your porch ceiling gives it a clean, textured, more upscale look.

If you’re in need of some design inspiration or help to complete a home renovation project, contact the experts at Emmons Roofing & Siding.

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