Hail Damage to your roof  can compromise the rest of your home. If you have had hail damage to your roof and would like All Pro Roofing to come to your home for a free inspection please contact us.

When a roof is leaking it does not necessarily mean that it should be replaced.  Leaks commonly occur around flashings, vent pipes, heat stacks, chimneys, skylights, etc. and not the shingles themselves.  Once the shingles fail (wear out) it is time to replace the roof.  Until then repairs can usually be made to the area where the leak is occurring.

There are several factors that will prematurely shorten the life of a roof. The most common are:

Improper installation

Inadequate or insufficient ventilation

Hail damage

Wind damage

To check for shingle failure without getting on the roof look for the amount of granules that come off after a rain.  Does the ground or the bottom of gutter downspouts have roof granules piling up?  It is normal for some granules to come off of the shingles over the years, but if you see what seems to be an excessive amount you should have the roof inspected by a professional.

For the most part, hail damage cannot be seen from the ground.  Climbing on the roof is necessary in order to get a close up, perpendicular view.  Wind damage can be seen for the ground if the shingles have blown off, although wind may cause the shingles to become unsealed.  In this case the roof will eventually leak although from the ground it will look normal.  If you suspect hail or wind damage you should have a professional inspection.

In the late 1990’s Texas developed a rating system to determine a roofing products resistance to impact (hail).  The purpose was to determine how well a roofing material would stand up during a hail storm.  Products that were submitted by their manufacturer for testing were given a Class rating of from 1 to 4 (4 being the best).  The Underwriter’s Laboratory number is “UL 2218.”  Roofing products that receive a Class 4 rating are named or promoted by their manufacturer as “Impact Resistant.”

Hail stones from a thunderstorm come in a variety of sizes, shapes and densities.  As a general rule the hail stone must be the size of a golf ball or larger to damage a roof, although many “impact resistant” shingles will not be damages from such a storm.  Composition shingles with a modified asphalt (SBS) base can usually survive a hail storm that has hail stones up to the size of a goose egg.

Most metal roofs, by the very nature of the product will not be functionally damaged by up to baseball size hail.  Although these metal roofs will still keep the rain out they will usually be damaged in appearance.  On the other hand golf ball size hail and even larger sometimes makes only small dents to these metal roofs.

“Impact Resistant Shingles” installed on a roof in Texas will allow you a discount on your homeowners insurance policy premium.  It is a state mandated discount that all insurance carriers must offer.  Depending on the cost of a policy and the discount offered by the insurance company the discount could range from $100.00 a year to several hundred dollars or more per year.  Currently State Farm seems to offer the largest discount (up to 27%) for impact resistant shingles.

Replacing a roof on even the smallest of homes will usually cost $3500. or more.  The price will go up depending on the size of the roof, how steep it is and if it is one or two story.  Shingle types range from the most basic 20 year shingle to ones that carry a life time warranty.  Aluminum, stone coated steel, concrete tile, cedar shakes and slate are also products used on roofs.  These choices could cost $20,000. or more depending on the size and shape of the house.

If the roof is being replace as a result of hail or wind damage your insurance carrier will usually provide you with an estimated cost of replacing your roof.  This can be used as a guild for current market pricing.

If, as a homeowner you are paying for the costs of the new roof you should get an estimate from 3 roofing contractors and make a comparison.  This will allow you to find a roofing contractor you feel comfortable with as well as compare pricing.

A Family Owned Business You Can Trust.

Are you looking for a roofing company that you can trust? Richard Grogan, owner of All-Pro Roofing has over 25 years experience in new home construction, remodeling and roofing. Knowing home construction from the ground up helps us be the roof replacement experts that we are.

All-Pro Roofing began in 1992 and our primary focus is residential re-roofing.

We stand behind every roofing job with a 5 year workmanship warranty. While many roofing companies have warranties in name only and others leave town after a storm, All-Pro roofing is local and here whenever you need us.

All-Pro Roofing has replaced thousands of roofs in the Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex over the last 17 years. All Pro Roofing has been an “accredited business” with the Dallas & North Texas Better Business Bureau since 1993 and have an A+ rating.

You can trust All-Pro Roofing with all of your roofing needs. Go ahead and give us a call today. Free Estimates for roof construction and repair in North Dallas: Frisco, McKinney, Plano, Lewisville, Flower Mound, The Colony, Prosper, Little Elm, Allen, Denton, Highland Village, Carrollton, Richardson, Corinth, Hickory Creek, Garland, Wylie, Parker, Murphy, Valley Ranch, Las Colinas, Fairview, Lucas, Grapevine, Colleyville, Keller, Haslett, Southlake, West Lake, Trophy Club, Roanoke, Watauga, Coppell, North Richland Hills, Euless, Bedford, Rockwall, Sachse, Rowlett, Heath, Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Forney, Irving, Lake Dallas, Fort Worth, Hurst, Haltom City, Arlington and Grand Prairie

Thanks again and we look forward to working with you.

Is Ridge Vent Right for Your House?

roof ridge vent

A cooler attic means less energy needed to cool your home in the summer. Ridge vent can increase and extend the opening in your roof which allows hot air to rise and exit your attic. Ridge vent runs along the ridgeline of your roof (the cap shingles that are parallel to the ground). When the ridgeline of the roof is open (ridge venting) the flow of air traveling through the attic is more evenly spread across the underside of the decking. Air enters the attic through soffit vents that are located under the eaves of the house. The natural rising action of hot air causes this flow of air to take place in the attic. As cooler air enters through the soffit vents it moves across the bottom of the decking. This reduces the temperature of the decking and as well as the temperature of the attic air.

To optimize the effectiveness of ridge vent there must be adequate soffit venting. Ideally, there would be continuous soffit venting around the entire eave of the house; although this is usually found only on houses build in the last 5 years or so. The next best application would be to have individual soffit vents located every 4 to 6 feet apart.

ridge vent roof ventilation system

At All Pro Roofing we install ridge vents, box vents, turtle vents, wind turbines, power attic fans and solar electric fans. We also install soffit vents. Passive vents (ridge vents, box vents and turtle vents) are the preferred choice if the design of the roof will allow for them. Any type of roof venting that contains moving parts (turbines, power and solar fans) will fail at some point and need to be repaired or replaced.
For a free evaluation of the effectiveness of your roofs venting system give us a call at 972.596.7777 or 817.488.6999. We will come out and make suggestions that can improve your energy efficiency and reduce your energy costs.

Ridge vent

If you know for sure that you have hail damage on your roof you can call the claims office for your insurance carrier, or call your agent, and file a claim and request an inspection from an adjuster.

If you are not sure if your roof has hail damage, having a roofing contractor inspect your roof is the first best option.

A replacement cost homeowners policy does not mean that an insurance company will pay out the full cost of the repairs up front.  If an adjuster determines that your roof needs to be replaced he/she will determine the replacement cost and usually hold back part of the funds until the work is completed.  This recoverable amount is called depreciation or betterment depending on the particular insurance company.  Your first payment will usually be for the replacement cost value (RCV) less the holdback (depreciation/betterment).  This amount is called the actual cash value or ACV.  From this amount the deductable will be taken out.

Insurance companies are motivated to replace hail damaged roofs to lessen their losses.  If a damaged roof is allowed to leak then the insurance company’s liability is increased due to the risk of interior damage.

Most hail damaged roofs (from hail 2 to 3 inches in size) will not leak for several months.  In these cases the damage cannot be seen from the ground.  An inspection must be made while on the roof with a perpendicular view.  The damage may appear as nothing more than a thumb size, half moon shaped black line.  This is an outline of the impact from the hail hitting the shingle.  It may seem to be harmless, but this sign indicates that the mat of the shingle (the base upon which the shingle is built) has be cracked.  At this point it is only a matter of time before the roof begins to leak.

Another common problem from the smaller size damaging hail is the bruising of shingles.  This happens when the hail impact drives the top granules down into the shingle.  At the point of these bruises (over a period of a few months to 1 year) the granules will disappear and the shingle and mat will began to break down from exposure to the UV rays of the sun.  Leaks are inevitable, although it may be 6 months to 3 years before this happens.

Once your insurance company has decided to replace your roof the next question may be how much “out of pocket” expense will it cost me? Insurance deductibles can range from $500.00 to 4% of the policy coverage amount ($10,000.00 or higher). The replacement cost less the deductible is what your insurance company will pay, while the deductible amount is the responsibility of the homeowner. As with any purchase, especially those involving large sums of money, purchase prices can include discounts, rebates or special offers. How much out of pocket expense, if any, you may incur will depend on the amount of your deductible and the total scope of damage to your home.

While some insurance agents and/or insurance adjusters will tell you that you “must pay” the deductible; simply because your repair work is being paid for from insurance proceeds does not forbid you from receiving a discount or rebate. These discounts or rebates can be applied to the deductible amount that is the responsibility of the homeowner.

At All Pro Roofing we use several means of marketing: direct mail, BBB website, Angie’s List, AllProRoof.com, Yellow Pages, etc. . . Each of these venues from time to time offer discounts, rebates and/or reduced price upgrades with the purchase of a new roof or a roof repair. Sometimes we offer a free radiant barrier installed in the attic with a complete roofing job. These offers are available to homeowners regardless of whether it is an insurance claim or a homeowner paying the total bill.

If you are replacing a roof as a result of a storm damage claim with your homeowners insurance, it is best to have your chosen roofing contractor inspect, measure and write up a replacement cost. This estimate should be independent of your insurance adjuster’s claim report. The roofing contractor should climb on the roof, inspect, measure and write an estimate. If he is unable or unwilling to do this, and is only interested in seeing your claims report in order to give you a quote, it is not in your best interest. What would such a contractor do if you were replacing your roof out of pocket because of its age?