RICOWI Investigates Hail Roof Damage In The Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex

The Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues, Inc. (RICOWI, Inc.) reports that seven research teams investigated hail damaged roofs in the Dallas / Fort Worth area from June 13 – June 17, 2011.

Hail Investigation ProgramChair Richard Herzog commented, "The storm was a great real-life test for the many impact-resistant roofs that have been installed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. While many roofs were damaged by the storm, some performed well and we look forward to analyzing all the data that was gathered. The inspection teams worked very hard and should be commended for their efforts."

Offering additional information on the investigation, On-Site Coordinator, David Roodvoets noted, "The teams of investigators climbed on over one hundred and twenty-five roofs in one hundred degree heat, collecting great data on the performance of roofing materials. The teams maintained their enthusiasm in spite of the heat and the scattering of damage locations. Cooperation of State Farm, the City of Irving Texas, the Irving School district, Tarrant and Dallas Counties was key in finding great places to inspect."

The published findings will document roofing systems that fail or survive major hail events and provide educational materials for roofing professionals to design hail-resistant roofing systems.

RICOWI Chairman, Mike Ennis stated, "On behalf of RICOWI sponsors and members, I would like to thank all of the sponsoring organizations, and companies that provided key talent to make this investigation a success."

RICOWI members include major roofing associations and members of academia, educational and testing facilities and others involved in the science of roofing. RICOWI's website (www.ricowi.com) provides additional detail on RICOWI's Hail and Wind Investigation Programs. Reports of past research are available for no charge on the website.

Hail Team 2011

Hail Team 2011
Front row (left to right): Dale McLean (Revere Copper Products), Wanda Edwards (Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety), Phil Dregger (Technical Roof Services, Inc.), Robert White (Malarkey Roofing Products), Dave Fulton (Metal Building Manufacturers Association), Tanya Brown (Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety), Lynne Lawry (Weather Decision Technologies), David Roodvoets (DLR Consultants)
Middle row (left to right): John Paul Hadden (State Farm Insurance), William Wooding (GAF), David Ballisteri (Building Envelope Consultants, Ltd)
Back row (left to right): Remington Brown (Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety), Phil Mayfield (PSM Consultants), Shiraj Khan (AIR Worldwide), Apoorv Dabrai (AIR Worldwide), Rusty Beck (Liberty Mutual Insurance), Chuck Miccolis (Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety), John Gimple (Gimple Roof Engineers), Bill Morgan (Malarkey Roofing Products), Dan Behrens (Haag Engineering)
Absent from the Photo: Lynne Christensen (Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau), Peter Parmenter (Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau), Bert Nunez (Benco Commercial Roofing), Doug Dewey (State Farm Insurance), Richard Herzog (Haag Engineering), John Goveia (Technical Roof Services, Inc.)