wight88 Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I currently have the considerable ballache of having to address a leaking felt roof and bathroom ceiling due mainly to the shite weather over the last what seems like an eternity, and have just remembered I have buildings insurance for a reason. Knowing insurance companies as i do they will want to pin me down to a specific day/night and then check on their database the average wind/rain in the area at that time. My question is, yes you've guessed it, is there a website/link that displays said information so that I can view it (for information purposes only)?
The Year Of The Fox Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Your insurance won't cover flat roofs
CPMilney Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 NOABL Wind Speed Database is what you may be after: http://www.rensmart.com/Weather/BERR
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Your insurance won't cover flat roofs is that true ? i've not heard that before .
jgtuk Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Your insurance won't cover flat roofs Of course they will.... As long as you declared it at the time of insuring in the first place.
Guest Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I currently have the considerable ballache of having to address a leaking felt roof and bathroom ceiling due mainly to the shite weather over the last what seems like an eternity, and have just remembered I have buildings insurance for a reason. Knowing insurance companies as i do they will want to pin me down to a specific day/night and then check on their database the average wind/rain in the area at that time. My question is, yes you've guessed it, is there a website/link that displays said information so that I can view it (for information purposes only)? Is that European or African?
The Year Of The Fox Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Of course they will.... As long as you declared it at the time of insuring in the first place. Depends on the policy. I know my doesn't. Mine started leaking the aame night as Borobat home last season.
Vacamion Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 They won't cover a cracked flat roof of which the cause of damage is the age and construction of the roof. They would cover a roof which had been either pieced by a falling slate (if the rest of the roof is in good nick) or clean lifted off during storm conditions. A flat felt roof will inevitably fail over time. Insurance is meant to cover unforeseen, fortuitous events, not the costs of maintaining your property.
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 They won't cover a cracked flat roof of which the cause of damage is the age and construction of the roof. They would cover a roof which had been either pieced by a falling slate (if the rest of the roof is in good nick) or clean lifted off during storm conditions. A flat felt roof will inevitably fail over time. Insurance is meant to cover unforeseen, fortuitous events, not the costs of maintaining your property. I see what you mean ,you're probably correct about that , but surely all roofs will fail over enough time. Does this mean if slates/tiles start falling out of an apex roof purely due to aging of the retaining nails , it won't be covered? Do they always only pay for actual damage caused by an event such as a storm ?
Vacamion Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I see what you mean ,you're probably correct about that , but surely all roofs will fail over enough time. Does this mean if slates/tiles start falling out of an apex roof purely due to aging of the retaining nails , it won't be covered? Do they always only pay for actual damage caused by an event such as a storm ? The position is that they won't deal with a claim for the failure of an already failing roof of any sort of construction. Claims for old slated roofs with holes in and rotted timbers are also turned down. The argument you have is whether the damage is caused by an insured peril (ie Storm) or caused by the age of the property or wear and tear. Insurance policies exclude gradually operating causes because they don't want to cover the inevitable age-related decay that happens to all buildings, eventually. If you have an old and failing roof (slate or flat felt roof) and there were no problems with it and then a storm happens and you notice damage, the question the insurers ask is whether the storm caused the damage or whether it made visible damage which was there anyway. Even if insurers accept that the damage was caused by storm (ie storm as the "proximate cause" of damage), they might conclude that proposed repairs are not to repair the damage but to reinstate a new roof (ie "betterment") and reduce your claim. Slate/Tile roofs tend to last for decades, especially if maintained. Flat felt roofs are a particular problem because they can start failing after 10 years or so. If insurers see "felt roof" in a claim their hackles are raised and they will usually start off from the position that the roof has failed rather than a storm caused damage to it. Depending in your cover, most insurers WILL usually deal with a claim for the resultant water damage inside, as long as you haven't left this to rot over a long period of time. If you are in dispute with the Insurance Co's claims dept, you should write to their Chief Executive's Office (details of which have to be included in every policy booklet) or approach the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Vacamion Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I see what you mean ,you're probably correct about that , but surely all roofs will fail over enough time. Does this mean if slates/tiles start falling out of an apex roof purely due to aging of the retaining nails , it won't be covered? Do they always only pay for actual damage caused by an event such as a storm ? Sorry, didn't specifically answer your questions: Does this mean if slates/tiles start falling out of an apex roof purely due to aging of the retaining nails , it won't be covered? - It won't be covered Do they always only pay for actual damage caused by an event such as a storm ? - Yes
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Sorry, didn't specifically answer your questions: Does this mean if slates/tiles start falling out of an apex roof purely due to aging of the retaining nails , it won't be covered? - It won't be covered Do they always only pay for actual damage caused by an event such as a storm ? - Yes Thanks yes i suppose it's pretty straight forward if i had thought about it more , Given your previous answer re roofing , i think i already know the answer to this one too but i'll ask anyway . if a house has sewage pipes that are made of an inferior material ( i'm thinking pitch fibre ) and these pipes start to fail , will an insurance company pay for any repairs ie replace section that has failed? or no repairs all ?
Smudge Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Sorry, didn't specifically answer your questions: Does this mean if slates/tiles start falling out of an apex roof purely due to aging of the retaining nails , it won't be covered? - It won't be covered Do they always only pay for actual damage caused by an event such as a storm ? - Yes I understand what you are saying but what I can't understand is what happened to me in the UK years ago. We were invited to someones house for dinner and I parked in front of their flat roofed garage. During the night there were very high winds and the felt on the roof blew off and landed on my car. The asphalt felt was covered in coarse sand and scratched my car pretty badly. The owner of the house, contacted his insurance company who refused to pay for the damage as it was regarded as an act of God. As you can imagine I was aggrieved that I was the one who ended up paying for the damage.
Smudge Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Thanks yes i suppose it's pretty straight forward if i had thought about it more , Given your previous answer re roofing , i think i already know the answer to this one too but i'll ask anyway . if a house has sewage pipes that are made of an inferior material ( i'm thinking pitch fibre ) and these pipes start to fail , will an insurance company pay for any repairs ie replace section that has failed? or no repairs all ? This may be of interest
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I understand what you are saying but what I can't understand is what happened to me in the UK years ago. We were invited to someones house for dinner and I parked in front of their flat roofed garage. During the night there were very high winds and the felt on the roof blew off and landed on my car. The asphalt felt was covered in coarse sand and scratched my car pretty badly. The owner of the house, contacted his insurance company who refused to pay for the damage as it was regarded as an act of God. As you can imagine I was aggrieved that I was the one who ended up paying for the damage. If god is such a nice bloke , why is he always doing these acts of vandalism? Especially to sweet old blokes like you !! he should be ashamed of himself
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 This may be of interest thanks , i'll read a bit more into it . but i've pretty much decided to eventually rip the whole lot up and replace with plaggy in the next few years more flippin expense , i blame the tories , they were in power all the years pitch fibre was being used , !!!
Smudge Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 If god is such a nice bloke , why is he always doing these acts of vandalism? Especially to sweet old blokes like you !! he should be ashamed of himself I was much younger then so maybe he wasn't so sympathetic Mind you as I have become older, he seems to be toying with me. It's the arthritis that he seems to enjoy dolling out the most.
Smudge Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 thanks , i'll read a bit more into it . but i've pretty much decided to eventually rip the whole lot up and replace with plaggy in the next few years more flippin expense , i blame the tories , they were in power all the years pitch fibre was being used , !!! Ouch sounds expensive, especially if its under the house and concrete slab.. I think you'll find it was your mate Harold 1964-1970
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Ouch sounds expensive, especially if its under the house and concrete slab.. I think you'll find it was your mate Harold 1964-1970 It was built in 62 , and it was Harold (but the supermac one) . i thought he was pretty good actually and Thatcher ought to have listened to him more about the family silver But as you must well know , no one listens to you when you're old and doddery ( just jokin) it runs under a concrete path and it does run under the door steps, but not the house , and it's a good 10/12 metre or so run , but then it flows into a shared sewer pipe and now that's the water company liability.
Orkneyfox Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I currently have the considerable ballache of having to address a leaking felt roof and bathroom ceiling due mainly to the shite weather over the last what seems like an eternity, and have just remembered I have buildings insurance for a reason. Knowing insurance companies as i do they will want to pin me down to a specific day/night and then check on their database the average wind/rain in the area at that time. My question is, yes you've guessed it, is there a website/link that displays said information so that I can view it (for information purposes only)? Living up here, the wind can be important. I use http://www.xcweather.co.uk/ and http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/leicester_wigston
Smudge Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 It was built in 62 , and it was Harold (but the supermac one) . i thought he was pretty good actually and Thatcher ought to have listened to him more about the family silver But as you must well know , no one listens to you when you're old and doddery ( just jokin) it runs under a concrete path and it does run under the door steps, but not the house , and it's a good 10/12 metre or so run , but then it flows into a shared sewer pipe and now that's the water company liability. I'll come over and dig it for you Zingy, I love little backhoes (not little black ho's). I rented one to lay a new electric cable down to the shed. I was digging holes everywhere, the back yard looked like the Somme after I'd finished.
Vacamion Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Thanks yes i suppose it's pretty straight forward if i had thought about it more , Given your previous answer re roofing , i think i already know the answer to this one too but i'll ask anyway . if a house has sewage pipes that are made of an inferior material ( i'm thinking pitch fibre ) and these pipes start to fail , will an insurance company pay for any repairs ie replace section that has failed? or no repairs all ? Aha. Sewage pipes are given different consideration from the rest of the building. Domestic policies cover "accidental damage to service pipes and cables" and, for some reason, a more lenient position is taken with this peril. To quote from the Chartered Insurance Loss Adjusters textbook: Cover for accidental damage was primarily intended to deal with the consequences of sudden and unforeseen events. However the FOS [Financial Ombudsman service] has made decisions that have supported the argument that an accident need not be sudden. It can occur in "slow motion". This can result in insurers accepting, for instance, claims for damage caused by gradual ground movement The FOS has also decided that delamination of pitch fibre pipes by the action of sewerage or water and the subsequent degradation of pitch fibre pipes by water itself represents accidental damage In short, whilst it goes against the usual principles of insurance, Insurers will accept claims for pipes like the one you decribed. Winner.
Vacamion Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 I understand what you are saying but what I can't understand is what happened to me in the UK years ago. We were invited to someones house for dinner and I parked in front of their flat roofed garage. During the night there were very high winds and the felt on the roof blew off and landed on my car. The asphalt felt was covered in coarse sand and scratched my car pretty badly. The owner of the house, contacted his insurance company who refused to pay for the damage as it was regarded as an act of God. As you can imagine I was aggrieved that I was the one who ended up paying for the damage. "Act of God" is an annoyingly leading phrase which is used in insurance law as a defence to a liability claim. It means you can't blame the other party, it was something they had no control over. As a rule, in order to claim against someone, you have to establlish that they have been negligent - ie that they owned you a duty of care and did something they would reasonably be expected to not to do (or failed to do something they would be expected to do) which then resulted in injury or damage to you. In this case, you can't really blame the person whose roof blew off. It was not their fault. It was caused by extraordinary weather conditions, rather than by any negligent act or omission by the house owner. A claim against the house owner in the civil court would fail. Whilst I sympathise, I think it is correct that you can't blame people (and sue them) for stuff they have no control over. That is why, as the owner of property (a car) which has been damaged by storm, you have to claim under your car's own damage insurance or bear the loss yourself. Sorry.
Zingari Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Aha. Sewage pipes are given different consideration from the rest of the building. Domestic policies cover "accidental damage to service pipes and cables" and, for some reason, a more lenient position is taken with this peril. To quote from the Chartered Insurance Loss Adjusters textbook: In short, whilst it goes against the usual principles of insurance, Insurers will accept claims for pipes like the one you decribed. Winner. Thank you very much for that answer Vacamion , I wasn't expecting that at all . It's made me rethink my plans about it now. The sewer is working fine at the moment and i flush them out regulaly by throwing large buckets of clear rain water from water butts into the inspection hole , and try to make sure the don't get blocked as to avoid any dyno rodding which may itself cause problems. I may now just let well alone for the time being and cross the bridge when i come to it. They may last years yet If the insurance company would agree to a 50 / 50 split with the cost i'd be quite happy . thanks again , it's very much appreciated , And the same thanks to you Smudge for your kind offer of turning my landscape of outstanding natural beauty into a bombed out wasteland
Vacamion Posted 23 February 2014 Posted 23 February 2014 Thank you very much for that answer Vacamion , I wasn't expecting that at all . It's made me rethink my plans about it now. The sewer is working fine at the moment and i flush them out regulaly by throwing large buckets of clear rain water from water butts into the inspection hole , and try to make sure the don't get blocked as to avoid any dyno rodding which may itself cause problems. I may now just let well alone for the time being and cross the bridge when i come to it. They may last years yet If the insurance company would agree to a 50 / 50 split with the cost i'd be quite happy . thanks again , it's very much appreciated , And the same thanks to you Smudge for your kind offer of turning my landscaped area of outstanding natural beauty into a bombed out wasteland Get it notified to the Insurers as soon as poss - don't give them an excuse to rely on notification clauses etc.. Good luck!
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