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Organic Shingles: Don't Count Out An Insurance Claim!

Q: My home has older organic shingles that are showing their age. Am I out of luck to make a claim for storm damage?
A: No! In fact, you might be in luck!

Organic shingles are roofing shingles made of cellulose which are saturated with asphalt. These shingles were very heavy but stood up to weather fairly well because of how much water repellent asphalt they contained. Organic shingles were extremely popular for decades, but are hard to find and/or completely discontinued in today’s residential shingle market. Today, the vast majority of roofing material manufactured for residential use is made from flexible and lightweight fiberglass coated with asphalt.

If you still have an organic shingle as part of your roof system, by now, you probably know it. Because these shingles were made from decomposable matter, they degrade over time. That said, many of these shingles had very long warranties and were wonderful products for the time. Now that we have better technology and better products, the market has shifted away from what we called “three tab” organic shingles.

If you have organic shingles on your home today, your roof is at least a decade old and might be starting to show its age. Does this mean that you are out of luck if your home experienced wind or hail damage? Quite the contrary!

The good news for most homeowners with organic shingles who experience qualifying storm damage to their homes is that organic shingles are no longer manufactured. This means that the damage your home may have sustained is simply not repairable. We cannot repair storm damage to a roof if those products no longer exist. This means many times that a homeowner who sustains sufficient storm damage to an organic roof likely meets the criteria for a full (shingle) roof replacement.

With over four decades in roofing experience, Feze Roofing, Inc., can help you navigate your homeowner’s insurance claim and restore your home.

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