When You Have Emergency Roof Repair

In most instances, a roof repair emergency won’t give you advance warning before it occurs. The first sign is often a water intrusion into your home’s attic or finished living areas.

When Emergencies Happen

Your emergency may involve a sudden deluge or multiple smaller leaks caused by a damage scenario like:

• High winds lift or rip off shingles or flashing, and wind-borne debris or hail punctures the underlayment.
• The limb on a tree in your yard breaks off and comes crashing down into the attic.
• An ice dam forms along your roof edge due to a lack of attic ventilation and insulation, allowing water to back up under the shingles.
• Your age-deteriorated roof gives out during a heavy rainstorm.

Discovering you have a damaged, leaking roof is a traumatic experience. Knowing what to do before a roofing emergency occurs is the best way to minimize your stress. Taking the following steps in an emergency can also help you protect your home and its contents.

Call a trusted roofing professional

You need a fully licensed and insured roofing pro with a proven track record in your area. They should have experience working with insurance claims. Make sure your chosen roofer can be on hand when the adjuster visits and help you navigate the claim process. A trustworthy roofer should also provide an accurate, detailed estimate and be upfront about your repair timeline.

Stay away from storm chasers and unethical roofers

Ideally, you should vet roofers before you’re facing an emergency situation. This way, you won’t fall prey to “storm chasers” who arrive in town after a severe weather event, do shoddy work and disappear. You can also weed out roofers who practice shady tactics, like charging your insurance for your deductible as a “sign fee.”

Contact your insurance provider

Once they’re aware of your emergency, your insurer can get the claim process started, and send an adjuster out to assess the damage. Before you need to file an insurance claim, it’s wise to have your deductible set aside, and read up on your coverage and responsibilities. To meet your insurer’s requirements, for example, your roofer may need to tarp damaged areas as soon as possible to mitigate further harm to your home.

When you need dependable, 24-hour emergency roof repair services in the Elk Grove Village area, contact us at Adams Roofing Professionals.