Many homeowners are looking for a durable roof that will last for years. Metal roofs offer affordable, quality protection that can last 30 years or more. But if your homeowner policy doesn’t cover cosmetic damage, you may be limited in what you can do to repair a damaged metal roof. This article will explain what happens when your metal roof gets damaged—and how you can get it fixed or replaced by an insurance company if needs be.
Most metal roofs are coated with a metallic finish.
The most common type of metal roof is coated with a metallic finish, which is typically painted on. In this case, the term “painted” refers to a coating that’s applied by using an electrostatic process that involves spraying or rolling on liquid paint.
The coating itself can be made from any number of materials: aluminum oxide, zinc phosphate or zinc chromate are all common coatings for metal roofs. The choice depends on what kind of protective properties you want and how much weight your roof will have to bear (for example, if you’re installing solar panels).
The metal is painted with a “finish coat,” which gives the metal its color and sheen.
The metal is painted with a “finish coat,” which gives the metal its color and sheen. The finish coat is delicate and can be scratched or chipped by hail, tree branches, or foot traffic. To protect against this damage, metal roofs typically come with some form of cosmetic damage exclusion (CDX).
The finish coat is delicate and can be scratched or chipped by hail, tree branches, or foot traffic.
As the finish coat is the outermost layer of your metal roof, it may be subject to damage from hail, tree branches, or foot traffic. If you have an insurance policy with a cosmetic damage exclusion clause in your homeowners policy or a business policy, you will not be covered for this type of damage.
If you do experience cosmetic damage to your roof and need repairs made, we recommend contacting a licensed contractor who understands the repair process for metal roofs and can assist with filing any claims on your behalf if necessary.
Some homeowner insurance policies exclude cosmetic damage from hail, including damage to metal roofs.
Insurance companies can be tricky. They sometimes have different policies, and they sometimes exclude coverage for damage to metal roofs or other types of cosmetic damage from hailstorms. So depending on the company, it’s possible that your insurance policy could cover some or all of your metal roof after a hailstorm. But if you’re not sure about whether or not your homeowner’s policy will cover cosmetic damage to your metal roof, you might want to ask your insurance agent before you file an insurance claim for hail damage.
An insurer may repair or replace the finish coat, but not the roof itself.
If the damage to your roof is cosmetic, an insurer may repair or replace the finish coat, but not the roof itself. The insurance company has to abide by its policy coverage and coverages for cosmetic damage are usually limited to what’s called “permanent” damage. This means that if you have a shingle that’s been blown off by high winds, it will be covered under your policy since it happened during a storm and is permanent in nature. But if one of your shingles gets damaged because someone threw golf ball at it while they were playing golf on their neighbor’s yard next door (true story!), then this type of issue will likely be excluded from coverage under a standard homeowners insurance policy because it isn’t considered “permanent.”
There are two important things to keep in mind:
- Cosmetic damages are typically excluded from all types of policies unless specifically included; and
- Cosmetic damage exclusions often do not apply when there is physical damage caused by water intrusion or root penetration through gaps in roofs (which can lead to rot).
Most modern roofing underlayment is covered by warranties of 20 years to a lifetime.
The underlayment is typically made from asphalt or synthetic rubber. Some underlayments are designed to be self-healing, while others will require a simple patch job if they’re damaged by hail, branches or foot traffic. You’ll want to consult your contractor about the warranty on your specific underlayment material before you begin repair work. Underlayments are typically covered by a 20 year warranty for hail and tree branch damage, but some warranties may be longer than that.
The good news is that metal roofs stand up well to hail and other types of weather damage.
The good news is that metal roofs stand up well to hail and other types of weather damage. Metal roofing materials are extremely durable and can last 30 years or more, depending on the material. They’re also not as prone to hail damage as some other types of roofing, including asphalt shingles.
If you live in an area with frequent hailstorms, you may want to consider a metal roof for its superior durability. If your current roof gets hit by a storm and sustains cosmetic damage like dents or scratches but no structural problems, then it’s likely worth repairing rather than replacing the entire thing just because there’s some paint chipping off around a few spots where shingles have been torn off by wind gusts or flying debris (such as large branches).
Metal roofs can be repaired or replaced if they are damaged by hail; but perhaps more importantly—and this will come as a relief if you’ve ever had to deal with this kind of situation before—if they aren’t damaged at all after being exposed to high winds or rains associated with severe thunderstorms then there should not need be any further repairs made either!
We hope this article has helped you understand the important difference between cosmetic damage and structural damage. There’s no need to worry about having your roof replaced if it looks like something has hit it—if you have a metal roof and live in an area that gets hail storms, your insurer will cover the cost of repairing or replacing your finish coat.