Wind softening checks do more than giving the owners of housing in Florida.
Understand how a quick wind -mitigation check can help you reduce insurance premiums for housing ownersS
The Floridians are well aware of protecting our homes from hurricane -related damage. We attach doors and windows, fill bags with sand and clean our yards of loose debris.
But most people forget about the largest home protection area: the roof.
Your real or home inspector may have recommended that you get a wind softening check, but what is it? And – more important – why is it so important?
What is a wind softening check?
The wind mitigating inspection helps insurance companies determine your home’s ability to withstand strong winds and penetrate water.
During a storm (yes, even a typical summer thunderstorm), the strong winds can pour rain to your home, where it will find its path in every crack or crack.
Your roof is the first line of wind and rain protection, which is why the wind mitigation checks focus on your roof.
The check is looking at seven key wind mitigating functions:
- Construction Year: The year in which your home is built, which tells the home inspector how strict the construction standards are
- Roof cover: The roof type of roof (shingles, tiles, etc.) and the age of the roof
- Roof deck: The material of which is your roof deck (ie the material to which they are nailed) is made), of the type of nails that secure the shingles, and how far the nails are
- Roof attachment to wall: The method used to attach the roof to your walls
- Roof geometry: the shape and slope of your roof
- Secondary water resistance: The type of material between shingles and roof flooring
- Opening protection: Whether you have additional holes in openings (such as storm covers) such as hatch, garage door, windows, etc.
Obviously, the more strong, stronger and better designed your roof, the more protection it can provide against wind damage and the better your wind will be. Your softening check is good for five years, but if you later repairs your roof, a new check is required.
Who can check the softening of the wind?
Legally, wind softening checks can only be carried out by a licensed general contractor, construction contractor, architect, engineer, construction inspector or home inspector.
Certified home inspectors are commonly used for most wind mitigation checks. If you are buying a home, a professional home inspector can make wind mitigation, four points and/or the buyer’s checks at the same time. Many even offer a discount for multiple checks at once.
What to expect from your wind softening check
Wind softening is a visual examination of the condition of your roof and the techniques used during its construction.
Unlike the typical home inspection, the wind softening is focused only on your roof. For this reason, someone will have to attend to allow the inspector to access the ceiling to see the underside of your roof.
The inspector is also required to take pictures of your roof. This enhances the validity of their report and helps fight fraud (which is common in the construction industry in Florida).
The typical wind softening can be done in less than an hour, and the cost of checking are also low, approximately $ 125- $ 175. But the price must be far from your main concern, as most wind softening checks pay For yourself.
Most importantly, be sure to use an honest, reliable and accurate home inspector or other professional. If you need a referral, Harry Levine Insurance can provide you with the names of several local inspectors that we know and trust.
Why do I need to check the wind mitigating?
In addition to making sure your home is protected, the wind softening inspection can help you save money from housing owners insurance.
Legally, your insurance carrier should Provide you discounts to mitigate the wind for “passing evaluation”. The more wind-resistant features your roof has, the deeper your discount is.
Generally speaking, the following features will receive additional “wind mitigation loans” that insurance companies will turn into discounts.
- More new roofs
- Longer nails placed closer together
- Upgraded materials
- Hippie
- Secondary water resistance
- Doors with higher evaluation, windows, blinds, etc.
How big a discount will I have?
As with most insurance things, there is no way to know for sure.
Not only is there no standard among home insurance companies for the amount of discount they offer, but there is no scientific consensus that certain roof characteristics are “safer” or more wind resistant than others.
Florida’s legislature is not made up of engineers or construction inspectors, but by politicians. Although they have used certain scientific (and quasi-scientific) data when writing the bill, yOur insurance carrier has its own information about what makes the home more at risk. Therefore, the insurer A can give you a 5% discount as your roof is attached with clips instead of nails and B can only offer you 1%.
This does not mean that the wind softening checks are useless – from it!
We often find that checks pay for themselves, earning at least $ 80-100 loan every year for a guaranteed five years (if not more). Many times, loans reach hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
It is extremely rare not to earn loans. Without checking the wind, your insurer suggests that your home has the least wind-resistant feature. Notifying them that you have at least a few will require them to offer a discount.
You cannot be charged anymore unless you have had a preliminary check of the mitigation of the wind that had incorrect findings in its favor.
Conclusion
Wind mitigating inspections are the easiest way to save money from your insurance premiums and ensure that your roof can protect your home from frequent rain in Florida.
In less than an hour of your time – and about $ 150 – your check can offer significant insurance savings over the next five years (or more)!
At Harry Levine Insurance, we call on all homeowners in Florida to plan a wind softening check at regular intervals. Although we cannot guarantee 100% security savings, you are extremely likely to rotate with a positive result.
While wind softening checks are a very simple way to save some money from your insurance premiums, there are additional ways we can help. As independent insurance agents, we are not tied to a specific carrier, so we can provide you with multiple options at different levels of coverage and price points personalized to your Needs.
Call today to schedule a consultation or contact us online for a free offer. We can’t wait to meet you!
We have updated this post in 2024 to provide the most up -to -date information on wind mitigation inspections.
This piece is intended as an incomplete introduction and a reference to the process of checking the wind mitigating for homes in Florida. This does not mean or guarantee any premiums savings, insurance coverage or loss against loss. Wind softening inspectors are hired on all the own risk of homeowners. Harry Levine insurance is in no way responsible for positive or negative results of any actions taken depending on this article. No action should be taken depending on this article.