Beginning Feb. 1, 2012, the new Platinum Warranty provides Owens Corning™ Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractors the ability to offer homeowners limited lifetime workmanship warranty coverage* for roofs installed on single family detached homes.  This new enhanced offering will replace the Platinum Promise™ Limited Warranty which currently covers workmanship for up to 25 years.

“As members of this premiere Network, Owens Corning™ Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractors now have the exclusive ability to offer additional workmanship coverage* through an industry-leading Platinum Warranty,” said Sheree Bargabos, President, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt.  “Because of our continuing commitment to innovation and focus on what homeowners truly value, we have the confidence and ability to offer this enhancement to our warranty program.”

“Our Platinum Preferred Contractors have consistently demonstrated high quality workmanship practices and continue to provide an extraordinary experience for the homeowner,” added Bargabos.  “This new warranty offering gives homeowners exceptional value when selecting an Owens Corning™ Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor.”

For additional information on the Owens Corning™ Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor program or to use the contractor locator service, please visit http://www.owenscorning.com.

About Owens Corning

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune® 500 company for 57 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.0 billion in 2010 and approximately 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents.

Owens Corning™ Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractors are independent contractors and are neither affiliates nor agents of Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt, LLC or its affiliated companies.

* See actual System Advantage™ Platinum Limited Lifetime Warranty for details.

*Limited Lifetime Workmanship Coverage applies to the following Owens Corning Shingles:
Oakridge®; Duration®; Duration® TruDefintion®; Duration Storm™; Duration® Cool; WeatherGuard® HP; Berkshire®; Woodcrest®; and Woodmoor®.

TOLEDO, Ohio, Dec. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) today announced that it received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2012 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) published by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, a civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.  Owens Corning has achieved a 100-percent CEI rating every year since 2004.

The 2012 CEI rated 850 companies on a scale of 0 to 100 percent relative to 40 specific policies and practices, 32 of which are new or more demanding this year.  Owens Corning was one of 190 companies to achieve a perfect CEI score.  To achieve a perfect score and the distinction as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality,” companies must have fully-inclusive equal employment opportunity policies, provide equal employment benefits, demonstrate organizational LGBT competency and a public commitment to equality, and exercise responsible citizenship.

“Owens Corning is honored to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for an eighth consecutive year as one of the best places to work for LGBT equality,” said Frank O’Brien-Bernini, Owens Corning vice president and Chief Sustainability Officer, and executive sponsor of the company’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Advocates (GLBTA) affinity group.  “Embracing diversity and inclusion provides a competitive advantage by creating an environment where the most outstanding talent in the world feels welcomed, respected and valued for their contributions.  This enables Owens Corning and our customers to take full advantage of the collective experience and perspective that our employees possess.”

Owens Corning has demonstrated a commitment to maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace.  The company operates six employee-led affinity groups that work to advance the company’s commitment to inclusiveness.  These affinity groups, which include the African American Resource Group; Connections; GLBTA; Hispanic Diversity Council; Owens Corning Multicultural Network; and Women’s Information Network, develop programs and activities focused on fostering employee engagement, business impact and community connections.

“Corporate America is leading the charge for equality in the workplace,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.  “We commend the businesses that participated in the CEI.  They understand that LGBT-inclusive workplace policies are the right thing to do and good business practices.”  

For further information on the 2012 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit http://www.hrc.org/cei.

About Owens Corning

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems.  A Fortune® 500 company for 57 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives.  Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.0 billion in 2010 and approximately 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents.  Additional information is available at http://www.owenscorning.com.

About the Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.  By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Beginning today, Owens Corning is holding the “Handy Homeowners” contest, asking consumers to show how they handle everyday household tasks in a video contest spoofing its new EcoTouchTM Insulation television commercial, which features a well-intentioned but less-than-handy homeowner who struggles to complete routine home improvement tasks. Contestants are encouraged to create parody videos of the new Owens Corning “EcoTouchTM Insulation DIY” television spot for a chance to win a $1000 Home Depot gift card and other prizes.

A panel of judges will rate each entry and consumers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite video online December 12-18 at http://www.youtube.com/owenscorning.  Winners will be selected based on a number of criteria, including creativity and community support throughout the online voting period. For more information, visit http://www.handy-homeowner.com.

Strong and soft for easy installation, EcoTouchTM is high-performance residential insulation that offers excellent recovery characteristics and can be easily cut and split to insulate even odd shaped spaces. Families will also find comfort knowing EcoTouchTM Insulation is made with 99 percent natural(1) materials, a minimum of 36 percent post-consumer recycled content, and 58 percent total recycled content – a leading percentage in the fiberglass insulation industry(2). Available now for purchase at The Home Depot, Owens CorningTM EcoTouchTM Insulation keeps homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, ultimately helping homeowners reduce their heating and cooling costs by up to $220 annually(3).

About Owens Corning

Owens-Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial roofing materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems.  A Fortune® 500 company for 57 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives.  Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.0 billion in 2010 and approximately 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at: http://www.owenscorning.com.

(1) Made with a minimum of 99 percent by weight natural materials consisting of minerals and plant-based compounds.

(2) Certified by Scientific Certifications Systems to have a minimum of 58 percent recycled glass content, with at least 36 percent post-consumer recycled and the balance pre-consumer recycled glass content.

(3) Estimate based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s energy modeling (using REM/Rate version 11.0) of cost-effective improvements made to ‘typical’ existing U.S. homes with a weighted composite of characteristics, http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_methodology

It can be difficult for homeowners to effectively inspect their roofs because most have not been properly trained to do so and have little-to-no experience determining whether or not roof damage is hail related.

There are some things that homeowners can pick up by doing some self-study. However, by and large, it is best to call in the insurance company since they will likely be the ones picking up the tab.

If your home’s roof has been damaged by hail, the course of action the insurance company decides upon their findings that their particular policies. Some will offer to replace the entire roof if the problem is severe enough while others might provide just enough money to make a few, minor repairs.

It is very important to have your roof inspected if you suspect hail damage. If you fail to do so and it turns out that the roof was in fact damaged, it may eventually begin to leak.

Because some insurance companies require that claims be made within a year of the event, (storm, tornado, hurricane, etc.) which caused the hail damage, trying to get them to pay for the repairs, after that amount of time has passed can be difficult.

Though you may be fearful of your premiums increasing if you make a claim, having it fixed may be well worth it. Having a roof replaced on a 3000 square foot home would cost between $10,000 and $15,000. A roof for a larger home would cost even more.

If you don’t have that type of money lying around, you would either have to use credit cards, take out a loan or live with a leaky roof. None of these options is better than having the insurance company pay for the repair.

To begin the claim process, you will first need to check your policy to make sure that it covers hail damage. If it does, give your insurance agent a call and let him or her know that you would like to file a claim. They will send out an adjuster who will make the final decision regarding your roof.

If they agree that it needs to be repaired or replaced, you will either need to find your own roofer or choose one from an approved listing of roofers provided by your insurance company. Different insurers have different policies regarding this.

When you contact a local Minneapolis Roofing Contractor, it is important to select one that is fully licensed and insured – such as Bayport Roofing. Our roofing and siding professionals are ready and able to handle your every need. Contact our office today for a free roof inspection!

Minneapolis — American Family Insurance has paid out about $4.5 billion nationwide through the first three quarters of 2011 to repair, rebuild and replace homes, vehicles and other property damaged by the year’s significant weather.

But about 80 homeowners insured by American Family who reside in the city’s Suburban Development off Highway 100 who claim their roofs were damaged by hail apparently have been left holding the bag.

“A fellow neighbor and myself canvassed much of the subdivision, and we probably have about 80 people who were denied,” said South Minneapolis homeowner Matt Hawkins.

More than 60 people showed up for a meeting of the Eden Prairie Homeowners Association earlier in the week to discuss their legal options.

“We were just trying to figure out what can be done next,” Hawkins said. No decisions were reached.

The American Family policyholders are at a loss to explain how their claims are not being honored, while neighbors, some living next door or across the street, have had claims for hail damage settled promptly, according to Hawkins, himself a customer of American Family, the nation’s largest insurer, with about 81 million policyholders.

A number of roofing companies told some of the American Family policyholders they had hail damage, but American Family adjusters said no, some without climbing onto roofs for closer inspections.

“How can you tell without even going up there?” Hawkins said.

One adjuster told Hawkins he inspected another house down the street to make his evaluation on Hawkins’s Lakeside Drive colonial home. An adjuster eventually did go onto his roof for a closer look, according to Hawkins.

“I’ve never filed a claim on my home,” Hawkins said.

Persistence paid off for Hawkins, who was just approved for repairs last weekend. The approval followed a complaint he submitted to the Minnesota Department of Insurance over handling of his claim by American Family. “Within a couple of days I had a call from American Family and by the weekend, someone was out to look at the roof.”

But most others are still waiting. Some who attended the homeowners’ association meeting spoke of adjusters sent by American Family who tried to talk them out of filing hail damage claims, saying they could be dropped for doing so.

“Why do you pay for insurance for 45 years and when you need it, you’re told you might get dropped … for an act of nature?” Hawkins said.

Citing privacy regulations, Eric Smith, a public affairs specialist for American Family in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said the insurer could not comment on cases involving individual policyholders.

“Regardless of how busy a claims season is, and this has been an especially busy season with all the hail and wind damage across the country, we handle each claim on its own merits,” Smith said. “We work to pay policyholders what they are owed under terms of individual policies, whether folks are in the same subdivision or not.”

Hawkins said he was told that a American Family adjuster claimed the company was very aware of the development’s active homeowners’ association.”

Some who didn’t give up eventually wound up being approved for roof repairs or new roofs.

“Some hired their own engineer who agreed there was hail damage,” Hawkins said. “If people can get together to form a lot of voices, it becomes a little more difficult to ignore.”

Any policyholder unhappy with the outcome of a claims decision made by their insurance company should contact the firms’ customer service department for a re-evaluation, Smith said.

If you live in the west area of Minnesota there is the strong possibility that the roof on your home may have been damaged by the hail storm that took place in May of 2011.

You may be thinking to yourself that you remember the hail storm but looked up at your roof and did not notice any damage. The fact of the matter is you can’t see hail storm damage from the ground.  The truth is many home inspectors do not even know what to look for because they receive no formal training on hail damaged roofs.

A homes roof must be physically inspected by a person who has training and experience to determine if there is actual hail damage. Insurance companies send their adjusters to special training so they can properly identify hail damage to a home.

With hail damage you will see some of the tiny granules of a roof missing. Over time the roof damage will get progressively worse and shorten it’s lifespan. Eventually your roof will end up leaking.

Even if your roof has minimal damage you have a valid insurance claim and should file with your insurance company. The damage caused by a hail storm might not cause your roof to leak for years. This makes it critical to have someone who is qualified inspect your roof.

As a Realtor, I have seen hail damage become a tremendous advantage to someone who is thinking of selling their home in the near future or even a few years down the road. You may be wondering how roof damage could possibly be advantageous? The answer is simple….a new roof has one of the lowest returns on investment in a home. There is no question that replacing a roof is expensive! For a decent size home of around 3000 square feet you could easily be looking at $15,000 – $20,000 for replacement.

When you go to put your home on the market you can forget about tacking on that money to your asking price. Buyer’s are not going to pay for your new roof. Are you beginning to see the picture why the hail storm was a boon to home owners? In the last year I have been able to save a few of my clients a boat load of money because of my knowledge about the hail storm and insurance claims.

I had a couple home owners in Hopkinton Minnesota that were selling their home and it was clear to me that their roofs were nearing the end of their lifespan. They had not gone through a home inspection yet but there was a strong possibility the home inspector would fail the roof. It would not be unreasonable for a buyer to ask for a replacement which would have cost the seller thousands of dollars! Instead I had the seller file a claim for hail damage and they got a free roof less their deductible. You can bet the seller and the new owner were both thrilled.

Making a Hail Storm Damage Roof Insurance Claim

In the streets leading up to the neighborhood where I live there were at least fifteen homes that had roofing contractor signs in the front yard. This has been big business for the roofing contractors in the area. In fact the damage was so wide spread that there were even contractors from out of state getting into the fray. Out of state roofing companies are often known as “storm chasers”. It is not uncommon for home owners in areas where damage has occurred to be offered a “free” roof. You may find that roofing companies call you or stuff your mailbox with their fliers looking for business.

So what do you do if you think you may have hail damage to your roof and want to file an insurance claim? You should 1st check your home insurance policy and make sure you are covered. As long as you are, put in a call to your insurance agent. They will get a claim started on your behalf and ask an insurance adjuster to visit your home and look at the roof.

At the same time you will also be wanting to get in touch with your local Bayport Roofing and Siding insurance claim representative to give you an estimate on replacement. You should actually have your Bayport rep visit 1st to verify and document the hail damage sustained.

Often times the insurance adjuster is going to want to get together with your Bayport Roofing contractor to make sure they are on the same page. The roofing contractor you are hiring should have no problem meeting the adjuster with you. The adjuster will take pictures of any damage and then explain what the next steps will be. Some adjusters may give you a settlement quote right on the spot while others may take up to a few weeks. The adjuster and roofing contractor are more than likely going to compare notes to see if the total roof measurements are about the same.

It is as simple as that! You should also keep in mind that many insurance policies have some kind of deductible that you will need to pay. In my experience quite a few of the local roofing contractors will absorb that fee in order to get your business. As with any other business it would be prudent to get references and make sure the roofing contractor is licensed and insured.

Severe hail in the last few months has damaged thousands homes around the area. Claims adjusters and roofing contractors have been busy getting repairs underway.

State Farm Insurance, one of many insurance companies working in the area, has received about 3,500 claims for hail damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles for damages from the most recent hail storms.

Tom Hanson and his wife were at home when the storm hit their house in the Southwest neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“After being inside and listening to all the hail come down, in knew it was going to be major damage,” Wilson said.

One hail stone went all the way through one of his windows.

“Had to be from this opening,” Hanson said. “We found a hail stone in on the couch, which has got to be 25 feet away.”

By the time the storm was over, the vinyl siding looked more like Swiss cheese. Some roofing was damaged. And several of his windows and screens were broken.

“We have filed a claim with the insurance company and are just waiting for the adjuster to come up and tell us what I can and cannot do and what they’ll pay for,” Hanson said.

Just a few houses down from the Hanson’s, Orlando Henderson, with Bayport Roofing inspects another damaged home. Dented gutters and damaged roofing will have to be replaced.

Henderson suggests homeowners contact a contractor right away, as well as their insurance agent.

“You’re going to want to get a contractor out to inspect your roof,” Ante said. “And if you have some holes in your roof, get those emergency repair. Because most roofers, including ourselves, are going to be backed up doing a lot of this work next year.”

Dislike handling homeowners insurance claims? We will handle your claim for FREE – and do all the work for your insurance companies quoted price – GUARANTEED!

The way an insurance claim is handled makes a tremendous difference…

Over the years, Bayport Roofing and Siding has dealt with thousands of homeowners insurance claims as well as implemented a system which helps our customers settle their insurance claims as quickly, painlessly and comprehensively as possible.

How contacting us first will benefit your insurance roofing claim…

All of our customers can benefit from our complimentary claims management program. This program allows the homeowner to be involved in as much or as little of the claims process as they like. We can handle the whole claim from start to finish, or simply be a sounding board which the customer can use whenever they would like advice. Either way, we guarantee to install your new roof per insurance company pricing and specifications. 

Bayport will ensure your Minneapolis roofing claim is stress free…

A well handled roofing claim should be a worry free process with a new roof being installed for little or no money out of pocket. If it is not handled properly, a claim can be denied completely or the homeowner may end up paying thousands of dollars when it was not necessary. Please call today and we would LOVE to walk you through the process.

Our certified roofing experts can help…

Before you call your insurance company regarding your CA roofing claim, call us in for a free roof inspection. Our certified roofing expert will advise you on all roof repair that may be necessary. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you. One of the most important goals with our customers is to keep your leaky roof costs to an absolute minimum. Call us today – we’re at your service.

A new roof was installed on Ross and Marlene Quade’s home in March, just weeks before a severe hailstorm battered their southwest Minneapolis neighborhood.

The Quades moved to Minneapolis after Hurricane Katrina left 7 feet of water in their Baton Rouge, La., home, but their prior experience with a natural disaster hasn’t erased the frustration of wrestling over their latest insurance claim.

Ross Quade said State Farm’s initial damage estimate for their home in Minneapolis was $10,418 and that the company said there wasn’t enough damage on the front half of the roof to warrant replacing it.

Quade said the insurer also refused to compensate them for damage to the home’s brickwork.

A general contractor and roofer the family worked with said it would cost $21,304 to repair the home, not counting the damaged brick. Marlene Quade said a second State Farm adjuster came to the house at one point, but has not yet provided an updated estimate.

“We felt like we were between a rock and a hard place here,” Ross Quade said.

A series of severe storms brought tornadoes, hail and violent thunderstorms to the Twin Cities, weather events unprecedented and usual for the ferocity.

Farm Bureau estimated its claims at $100 million across Minnesota, and State Farm, the largest insurer of homes and autos in Minnesota, was forced to add temporary inspection facilities across the state to handle the high number of auto claims from the storms.

It’s been several months since spring storms left damaged roofs, dented cars and downed trees across a wide swath of the Minneapolis and Saint Paul metropolitan area, but repair work is still going on in many places. And while the storm has boosted the business of many contractors and home-repair specialists, it has left some homeowners frustrated over disputes with their insurance company.

Jen Smith has a rental home in South Saint Paul that was damaged by the storm, and said she was happy because Allstate initially responded very quickly. The problem came when she brought in a contractor for the rental home, who told her there wasn’t enough money to address all of the damage.

Smith said that eventually she was told by an Allstate representative that they don’t pay profit and overhead costs to general contractors hired to manage a variety of different issues, unless it’s a particularly complex claim. Roth said she lost the contractor over the dispute, and was left with the feeling that the insurer must not be paying enough.

“My take is, look, I don’t know if this is reasonable, I don’t know what this should cost, it’s not what I do,” she said. “I do what I do so I can pay the premiums every six months.”

Insurance companies, of course, have been inundated with claims in the wake of the storms, and State Farm spokesman Meher Sekhon said the company works hard to ensure policy holders get what they’re owed.

Sekhon said he couldn’t comment about the Quades’ claim specifically, but said that in general “we handle each claim on its own merits.” In addition, he said that because State Farm is a mutual company, it isn’t looking out for the bottom line or its stock price.

The Quades have turned to a local contractor to press their case, a Minneapolis company called Bayport Roofing and Siding. The firm’s president and CEO Tom Svendson, is an ex-insurance adjuster with years of experience in disaster relief, and he indicated homeowners often don’t know how to pursue money that they’re entitled to receive.

Insurance companies, he said, “don’t really have the authority to not pay many of these things that they should be paying. And they will if they’re forced to but they won’t if they’re not.”