When hailstones the size of golf balls fall on your roof…
One of our landlords recently sent us this photo from their second home in the Corrèze, southern France — a region currently experiencing severe storms and record-breaking heatwaves. But it’s not just heat: extreme hail has caused widespread damage to buildings and vehicles alike.
In this case, around 50 roof tiles were shattered, leaving the loft space exposed to the elements — the roof now resembles a colander! With no membrane or felt beneath the slates, the risk of internal water damage is very real.
This situation naturally raises two urgent concerns:
- How do we make it safe and watertight quickly?
- What’s covered by insurance — and what’s expected of the homeowner?
It reminded me of a conversation I had with an insurance assessor a few years ago. A mains pipe had burst in a tenanted property, flooding the kitchen. We acted immediately: cleared the mess, installed dehumidifiers, replaced damaged food, and arranged emergency plumbing repairs. By the time the tenants returned from work, the kitchen was fully usable — albeit with half the ceiling missing!
The assessor’s response? “That’s exactly what insurers want to see.”
It’s called mitigating your losses. Insurers don’t expect you to sit back and do nothing — they expect you to minimise further damage, even before a claim is processed.
So back to our giant hailstones:
Yes, the damage is done — but you can still prevent more.
- Make temporary repairs
- Photograph everything
- Keep receipts and document decisions
- And most importantly: act fast
Insurance is there to support you, but proactive property management makes a real difference — and often saves everyone time and money.
