Roof Damage
What is the most important part of the house? The foundation, walls, or the roof? There is no true answer to that because without one, everything fails. However, the roof is the most likely to suffer damage in Florida. Whether your roof damage was caused by a tropical storm or subpar construction, your homeowners’ insurance company should be responsible for covering the cost of replacement, typically with “like kind” materials.
Wind Damage
Florida is known for its sun, palm trees, beaches, and tropical storms. The later causes billions of dollars of damage to roofs across the state every few years. Roof damage caused by storms can range from missing shingles to missing the entire roof. A 2013 University of Florida dissertation study found that the most significant flaw of Florida roofs was the high occurrence of partially unsealed asphalt shingles located in the hip, field, and ridges of roofs. When the shingles in these particular roof locations are left unsealed or partially unsealed, roof damage becomes much more common in wind storms. Imagine how rigorously a piece of paper would flap in a high wind if only one or two edges were taped down, compared to how little flapping would go on if all four edges were secured. Surprisingly, all Florida homes surveyed in the study had partially unsealed shingles.
Tree Limb Damage
Wind storms can take down trees and tree limbs, causing them to come crashing down on cars, sheds, and roofs. Tree limbs or entire trees can also crack on their own due to tree fungus or disease, old age, and other natural causes. When this type of roof damage occurs, there is often very serious structural damage that may likely extend down into the walls of your home. It is critical to work with an attorney and an experienced contractor to ensure that the damage is fixed entirely and that you are not left with the bill.
Construction Defects
As with anything made by human hand, there is a chance that your roof was not constructed properly the first time around. We will analyze every detail to ensure that the cause of the damage is known and that it will not continue to happen.
Contact Us Today for Help
Florida building code 611.1.1 states that if less than 25 percent of the roof is damaged, your insurance company only has to repair it with a patch, whereas if more than 25 percent is damaged, the whole roof shall have to be replaced. Our attorneys are knowledgeable about all of Florida’s codes and requirements, and will work to ensure that you are compensated fairly and justly for your home damage. Call the Celeste Law Firm today at 561-478-2447.
Resource:
ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0046235/00001
