Spontaneous Hail Damage

[Brian G]

I got a call last week from a chap just about 2 miles down the road from me. He said he had a new roof put on about 3 - 3 1/2 years old that leaked in the same two places every year, and every year he called the roofer out to fix it. This year the guy comes out and says, "You've got hail damage, that's what's causing the leaking now. You need a new roof, but your insurance should cover it."

Well he didn't think that was right, and niether did the insurance agent. Hail? Here? I've been here 43 years and only seen hail ONCE. The agent told him to get a home inspector to look at it and get back to him. So I look, and to no ones surprize there's no such thing, and the places where he's been putting the tar every year are plain as day (chimney and rake wall flashings). A further check of the county code in effct at the time found that he should have replaced the flashing as part of the recovering, and about 3 or 4 other things were not up to snuff. I wrote it up and turned it in.

Monday the roofer called, barking and growling that I had said he didn't know what he was doing, that the roof clearly had hail damage, that he didn't build the damned house, blah, blah, blah. I was polite but firm, always the best policy. At one point he claimed a factory rep had looked at it and agreed it was hail damage. I said "Okay, give me his name and number and I'll call him." "Well....that wouldn't do any good, blah, blah, blah." Right. Then he says another pro of some sort is coming to check it out, so I offered to meet them over there. "If you can show me where anything in that report is not true, I'll retract whatever it is", says I. "Fine" he says, "The guy will be here next week, I'll call you." Naturally I called the client and told him what was said.

Yesterday the client called me. The roofer had called him and agreed to fix everything in the report, up to code.

I love my job. As Kurt says, we get paid to tell the truth. The best thing about telling the truth is, you have nothing to fear. Nothing.

Brian G.

That *&<$@%^#* Home Inspector [:-batman]

[crusty]

Why....you know it all young whippersnapper turkey baster....I was repairing hail damage when your Daddy was a mere glimmer in your Grandaddy's eye.

You went further than I would. I would never agree to meet them onsite (even if I were bluffing[:-eyebrows] and contrary to your grouchy arse I would have certainly been more agreeable rather than so darned contradictory when he related what he inferred from what I implied.

[Scottpat]

Brian if you want to see hail damage just come on down Southwest about 120 miles to Madison. I am starting to think that the City of Madison, MS is the hail center of the South. Over the past 8 years I know of 5 major hails storms.

The fun thing is when I go and inspect a home in an area I know it was hit hard with hail and the owners have not replaced the roof but have pocketed the money. Talking about some squealing and whining!

It has also been a learning experience with hail damage. I have learned that the damage may not show up for more than a year after the impact depending on the size and hardness of the hail stones.

[Brian G]

Originally posted by crusty

....and contrary to your grouchy arse I would have certainly been more agreeable rather than so darned contradictory when he related what he inferred from what I implied.

Even if what he related from his inference was not actually implied but merely obvious?

Brian G.

Don't Be So Obtuse...

[Brian G]

Originally posted by Scottpat

...if you want to see hail damage just come on down Southwest about 120 miles to Madison. I am starting to think that the City of Madison, MS is the hail center of the South. Over the past 8 years I know of 5 major hails storms.

You're kidding. In south MS? Weird. If I had a chance I'd love to look at some.

I have learned that the damage may not show up for more than a year after the impact depending on the size and hardness of the hail stones.

Oh Yeah, NOW you tell me. I think I'm okay on this one though. Some hail does have to fall to have damage at any time.

Brian G.

[Scottpat]

Central Mississippi!

Last year we had a storm just tear up a subdivision of homes in the $250,000 to $600,000 range. I had never seen EIFS pounded off of a home or HVAC condenser units(fins) destroyed. Broken windows and skylights were common. Yet you could go a mile in any direction and have hardly if any damage.

[Paul MacLean]

Long before my home inspection days, I drove into Del Rio, Texas the day after a hail storm...soft ball size hail that is. What a mess!

[hausdok]

Yep,

Once left my car in outside storage in Texas for two years while I was stationed in Korea. Nobody told me about the hail. Came back to find my baby covered with peach-sized pock marks, the back window gone and the windshield cracked.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike