Some parts of the country seem to get hail storms over and over again.
On June 13th, 2018 a large storm hit Fountain, Colorado near Fort Carson. The storm dropped hail up to 3 inches in diameter and damaged over 17,000 cars! According to The Gazette it was the 12th most costly hail storm in Colorado history!
Then not even 6 weeks later a HUGE hail storm hit the same area AGAIN on August 6th, 2018. The storm produced hail up to 2.75 inches and was so large it killed 5 animals at the Colorado Springs Zoo and injured 14 people!
We inspected roofs in this area after the storm that had holes in the roof from the hail. The stones were so big they went through the shingles and the OSB decking!
The Benefits Of Class 4 IR Shingles
Save $$ On Your Insurance Premiums!
Some insurance companies offer a discount of up to 20% off of your premium for having a class 4 IR shingle. Contact your agent for details!
If you live in an area that gets hail storms frequently, like Colorado or Texas, you should consider a class 4 impact resistant shingle!
Class 4 impact resistant shingles look like regular shingles, but they have a reinforced mat (backside) that makes them more resistant to hail. Class 4 IR shingles are rated to withstand damage from hail up to about 2 inches in size.
This means that most hail that is 2 inches or less should not damage your roof and therefore you should not have to replace it! This is a big deal for some people!
We have a customer in Southeast Aurora in Colorado who has had us install 4 roofs for them since 2009! Their area gets a lot of large damaging hail storms and their house gets hit frequently.
In 2018 after the June hail storm hit their house again and damaged their roof we were able to get them the GAF Armorshield II class 4 impact resistant shingle.
This shingle held up very well! This area was hit by hail 3 different times in June of 2023. We inspected their GAF Armorshield II shingle roof 3 times and there is NO HAIL DAMAGE ON IT! 3 of the neighbors roofs are getting replaced because they did NOT have an impact resistant roof!
How Expensive Are Class 4 IR Shingles?
Are class 4 impact resistant shingles worth the cost? And how much will they cost???
Do you know how much the deductible is on your homeowners insurance policy for a hail or wind storm? Most deductibles range anywhere from $1,000-$3,500. Many insurance companies are switching to deductibles that are 1-3% of the home value! That’s a lot of money!
With deductibles increasing you want to make sure you are less likely to have to file a claim. Having a class 4 IR shingle on your home means you will be less likely to have to replace your roof because of a hail storm!
This is also why your insurance company is willing to give you a discount on your premium for having a class 4 IR shingle! It’s a win win for everyone!
When it comes to cost class 4 impact resistant shingles cost about $1,500-$3,000 more per roof.
Given the fact that most insurance companies offer a reduced premium for having the class 4 impact resistant shingle this means it is more than worth it for most homeowners!
By spending a little bit of extra money you will reduce how much you pay for insurance, you will be less likely to have to replace your roof, and you will save money!
