Oh No, home insurance company will not renew without roof replacement
Have you ever received a letter from your home insurance company stating that they will not renew your policy unless you get a new roof? This was the situation my husband and I found ourselves in a few years back. We had known for some time that our roof needed to be replaced, but we were trying to hold off on the expense for as long as possible. However, our insurance company’s ultimatum made us realize that it was time to stop patching up the roof and invest in a new one.
Homeowners insurance is an essential aspect of owning a home. It provides financial protection in case of unexpected events such as natural disasters or accidents. However, insurance companies also have their own requirements and guidelines that homeowners must adhere to in order to maintain coverage.
In our case, we had been putting off replacing our roof because it was a substantial expense that we were not prepared for at the time. We thought patching up any visible issues would delay it until we could comfortably budget in this expense. But, the insurance company had other priorities and they took precedence over our plans.
New Roof leads to three major projects
Because of our need for a new roof, three major projects emerged that we had to tackle.
New Roof
We used our roofing contractor that had done work for us on previous job sites.
The roofers removed three layers, plus the original shingles, they were 15 year shingles. Typically you should tear them off every time you replace your roof.
The reflective decking, strip material and synthetic felt is delivered . The roofing contractor supplied the shingles.
This is the radiant barrier roof decking going up. Before they put this decking on, they put strips down to raise the radiant barrier up. The radiant barrier roof decking works by reflecting radiant heat emitted by the sun, reducing the transfer of heat into the attic space and living space below.
After the radiant barrier decking was installed, synthetic felt layer was put on to dry in the material.
We put board and batten siding connecting the front porch overhang to the one half gable.
The new 30 year shingles are going up on the roof.
Nick’s truck, our roofing contractor, definitely caught our attention with its unique feature – long horns on the front. As Texans, we couldn’t help but appreciate this nod to our state’s culture. And of course, we had to snap a picture to remember it by!
As the roofing project was completed, we were relieved and satisfied that we had met our insurance company’s requirements and improved the overall safety and value of our home. While it may have been an unexpected expense at the time, investing in a new roof has given us peace of mind and protection for years to come. The bonus for me, peace of mind when it is raining. I DO NOT have to pull out the containers to catch the rain coming in through the leaks in our roof anymore! I can arrange my furniture the way I want to and not where the leaks in the ceiling were.
Remove part of the fireplace chimney
We had a fireplace that we never used. We could see daylight from the inside of our house all the way through to the outside. Needless to say we did not feel it was safe to use this fireplace. Before the roofers came, my husband took the top part of the fireplace chimney down that came up past the roof and down to the siding on the side of the house. He replaced the hole where the chimney was with roof decking.
After the roof decking was replaced he came in and did new facia and framed up the opening to replace the brick fireplace.
With new facia and framing, my husband put up exterior wall sheathing to cover the former chimney hole.
Installed new exterior board and batten siding. Now the gable is finished.
Facelift for the front porch
The third project that morphed with replacing our roof. Let’s move around to the front of our house.
With replacing the roof, it involved parts of the facia, trim of our front porch, so my husband decided it was a good time to give our front porch some much needed love. He raised the porch ceiling 12 inches. Going from seven feet to eight feet height, more from a cosmetic look and head height. It gave a us a little more room to hang a porch light. He took out the original ceiling, and raised it up 12 inches.
The old posts were replaced with new square posts, and a picket rail around the porch.
Three home improvement projects completed
In conclusion, while receiving an ultimatum from our homeowners insurance company may have been a stressful experience, it ultimately led us to invest in three major home improvement projects that have improved the safety and value of our home. From replacing the roof and adding radiant barrier decking to fixing our unused fireplace and giving our front porch a makeover, we are now able to enjoy our home with peace of mind. So if you ever receive a similar letter from your insurance company, try to see it as an opportunity for necessary upgrades and improvements rather than just an added expense.
Thank you for joining us on our home improvement journey! Keep an eye out for more tips and stories on how we improved our humble abode.
Leave a Reply