How to Handle Siding Repair After a Storm
3 pros!
Thunderstorms and hail pose a threat to your home's siding. Use these tips to deal with repairs after storm damage.
If wind or hail wreaks havoc on your home, chances are your siding suffered some damage.
When a storm damages your siding, your only choice may be to replace the affected panels. “Once it’s dented, it’s dented, it’s not like a car where you can try to work the dents out of it,” says Jason Werner, owner of highly rated Trademark Exteriors Restoration in Oklahoma City. This creates a potential problem: finding new siding to match the rest of your home.
Finding a match
When homeowners need to replace damaged siding, locating new materials that match the look of existing panels sometimes proves tricky, Werner says. The original manufacturer might be out of business or no longer makes the same product.
In those cases, a homeowner might choose to re-side their whole house — but don’t assume your insurance will cover all the work or materials, Werner says.
Understanding your coverage
Check your policy to ensure you understand what it covers, and get the best deal within that coverage by knowing what’s in your policy. For example, your insurance policy may include an extra provision for re-siding your whole house, even if the storm damaged one area only.
“When it comes to siding, it’s pretty rare that you can’t get a close match,” says Joseph Wagner, owner of highly rated Wagner Insurance Group in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. “The adjuster may make an exception if the company went out of business. You always kind of err on the safe side. Read your policy and just assume that the insurance company is going to replace the damaged side, and if you get more, then you’re doing pretty good.”
A supplemental claim may cover the cost of re-siding the whole house if a color match can’t be found. Approval of a supplemental claim depends on the policy language and provisions, Wagner says.
Making a claim
Call a highly rated contractor to give you an estimate before you make an insurance claim, Wagner says. The insurance company and contractor should give you a similar estimate, because insurance companies often use the same type of software as contractors to determine the cost of damages, he says.
Homeowners should contact their individual insurance agent, not the insurance company, Wagner says. The agent will help you decide whether to file a claim. If you file too many claims — as many as two within one to five years — your insurance company might drop you. “Usually two claims is the kiss of death for an insurance carrier,” Wagner says.