Hail-weary Homeowners Turning to DECRA for Ultimate Protection

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor. 

Once the neighbors in this Colorado Springs neighborhood saw how well the DECRA roof stood up to the hail, they knew that was the roofing solution they wanted to put on their homes.

When you live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, you expect that the weather will bring storms and in some cases hail. You don’t expect to see hail stones the size of softballs but that’s exactly what happened in December of 2018. 

Jim Gagin, a resident and the DECRA Metal Roof representative for the area, said that the asphalt shingle roofs on the houses in his neighborhood were ‘slaughtered by the hail and just torn to shreds.’ This meant that in addition to the roof damage, homes were experiencing water intrusion and turning to tarps to protect their homes. When you have softball-sized hail, even the toughest roofs like DECRA’s are going to see some damage, but in this storm, the DECRA roofs remained watertight, despite suffering blows from the hail. 

Once the neighbors saw how well the DECRA roof stood up to the hail, they knew that was the roofing solution they wanted to put on their homes. In Colorado Springs, Jim said that homeowners are caught in a vicious cycle of roof replacement every couple of years. They are tired of it and so are their insurance companies. 

“What insurance companies are doing is making deductibles equivalent to 2% of the appraised value of your home,” explained Jim. “When you live in an $850,000 - $1 million home, your new roof is going to cost you $20,000 because your deductible is so high. Homeowners don’t want to have to buy a new roof every year or two, so they are searching for longer term solutions for their homes.” 

Jim explained insurance companies are so pleased with the protection that DECRA provides that they offer a discount on your insurance. “My insurance dropped by a third when I installed a DECRA roof on my home,” said Jim. “Most class 4 roofs will get you a discount but it was much higher for metal. Your roof is actually paying you back for as long as you live in the home.” 

“If there was a higher hail rating than Class 4, DECRA would most likely be rated higher,” stated Jim. “DECRA steel is corrugated, so it’s stronger. We have an acrylic primer that is added before the granules and then it’s cured in a 220-degree oven for 90 minutes. It’s super strong and can withstand the larger hail.” 

The Homeowners Association in the Kissing Camels subdivision agree as well. Frustrated with the constant need to replace their roofs following hailstorms, they were thrilled to learn about the strength and durability of DECRA. The appearance was complimentary and attractive to their homes and they are moving ahead re-roofing their 700 homes with DECRA. 

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