How To Repair Wood Deck Hail Damage

When it comes to protecting your deck, one of the biggest enemies here in Colorado is hail.

Colorado ranks number two in the nation for hail damage claims. And if you’ve lived here long, you know Colorado sees its fair share of surprise spring and summer hail storms!

In fact, our state gets around 300 hail storms every year, the most destructive which happen around June.

Colorado has recorded hailstones the size of grapefruits in the past. You don’t want to get hit by one of those, that’s for sure. And you don’t want your deck getting chipped and damaged by hail, either.

While real wood is the best decking material, it can still suffer damage in a serious hailstorm. Hail can leave pockmarks in your wood deck, resulting in chipping and fraying on the surface of your deck.

Hail can also break through the stain on your deck, breaking the waterproof seal that the stain provides. If this happens, your deck can become susceptible to further water damage down the road.

Fortunately, there are ways you can protect your deck and get it repaired after hail damage.

How to Prevent Hail Damage to Your Wood Deck

The best way to minimize the possibility of hail damage to your wood deck is with a roof addition.

A custom roof addition turns your outdoor living space into an outdoor living room, and will prevent hail from striking the surface of your deck. It also keeps your deck looking extra beautiful by blocking harsh sun rays from hitting your deck’s surface all year.

As a bonus, a roof keeps your deck cooler and more usable throughout the dog days of summer. And it makes your deck accessible even when it’s raining, snowing, or hailing!

If you aren’t so lucky to have upgraded your outdoor living space with a custom roof addition yet, don’t fret! Your deck can be repaired in the event of hail damage.

How to Repair Your Wood Deck After Hail Damage

If you own a DeckTec-built wood deck, only our specialists should be brought in to repair your deck from hail damage. Using other contractors can void the warranty we provide on your deck and puts your deck at risk of a bad repair job.

Depending on the extent of the damage, your deck may require a power washing or sanding and refinishing. Or it may need entire pieces of wood replaced.

Hiring someone besides DeckTec to do the repairs is a big mistake. We’ve seen decks that were repaired by “the other guys” torn up by over-aggressive power washing.

We’ve seen screw head tops completely sanded off, and pieces of wood replaced with lower-quality or mismatched materials. We’ve even seen gorgeous, all-natural wood decks painted or stained after a botched repair job, completely obscuring the natural beauty of the wood!

Our Colorado deck builders and repair specialists always make sure that you get the same deck you had before the hail damage. We’ll get every detail perfect, even down to the screws.

But be warned: your insurance provider will probably try to send you the cheapest and lowest-quality contractor to do your repairs. Don’t accept that! Insist that DeckTec’s deck specialists do any and all repairs.

How to File a Deck Insurance Claim

After an epic hail storm, don’t be surprised if someone shows up at your door claiming to be an “insurance expert” who can help you get repairs done on your house.

This is a big red flag. Don’t work with these people — they’re just trying to make a quick buck by preying on people who are still reeling from damage to their home and deck.

(Related: Responding to Hail Damage)

You should already have your deck covered in your home insurance policy, so you don’t need some door-to-door salesperson. Be sure to review your policy with your agent now to make sure it covers your deck in the case of hail damage.

Be clear with your agent that you expect your policy to cover repairs by DeckTec, and no one else. It’s your right as a policyholder to decide who fixes your deck.

If you don’t insist on using DeckTec for insurance-covered repairs, you may end up with a roof repair company trying to fix your deck!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Filing a Deck Insurance Claim

Call your insurance company immediately after a hail storm and tell them that your home and deck was hit by hail.
Your insurance company will have a Catastrophe Assessment Team (CAT) member evaluate your property damage in person.
Your insurance company will determine whether you get full replacement costs or a proration, depending on how your policy is drafted.
Make sure to have DeckTec assess the damage before you agree to the insurance company allocations.

You can always have your insurer’s Catastrophe Assessment Team or adjuster call us directly so you don’t have to deal with it. We will work with the insurer to make sure you get your deck repaired fully and properly.

And if you have any questions about our repair services, feel free to call us any time! Our number is: 303-747-4817