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Leaking Roof Home Insurance Claim

It is often asked whether a leaking roof is covered under building's insurance. The answer to this is it depends. If the leak was not caused by poor maintenance or general wear and tear. You may have a case for claiming off of your insurance policy. Examples of where you may be able to claim off of your insurance for a roof leak would be if one of the following reasons were the cause of your roof leak; storm damage, fire or vandalism.

A very important detail to consider before taking out building insurance is to understand under which circumstances your roof is covered. And whether the content below the roof are covered if a leak does occur. By doing this you can prevent any nasty surprises come up if your roof and the contents your roof protects suffer any damage.

Will Buildings Insurance Cover The Contents Below My Roof?

This depends if the insurance cover you have is buildings and contents or just buildings insurance. If it is just buildings insurance, your separate contents insurance policy will cover any contents damage from a leak. If it is buildings and contents insurance this will cover your contents. It also may cover the leak if it is caused by; storm damage, fire or vandalism. The leak will only be covered if the roof was in good condition prior to the storm, fire or vandalism. If the roof was not in good condition the insurance company will take the position the damage was caused by wear and tear. This will mean any claim on the policy regarding the leak will not be valid.

With contents insurance it usually covers damage to contents cause by the following; fires, storms, theft, vandalism, floods and malicious damage

Is There A Better Way To Protect My Roof In The Event Of A Leak?

A leaking roof is a problem which most owners will have to deal with at least once in their lifetime. This is especially true in the UK where roofs must stand up to a wide variation of elements, which place roofing systems under considerable strain. There are two main ways you can greatly reduce the probability of a leaking roof (and to maximise your chances of being able to claim off of your insurance policy).

1. Regular Maintenance and Inspections

2. Ensure Any Roofing System You Have Is Covered By An Insurance Backed Guarantee

3. Choose A Roofing System Which Performs Well In All Weather Conditions

4. Choose A Roofing System Which Has Enough Elasticity To Cope With Thermal Movement (a PU liquid roofing system is an excellent choice)

What should you do if you experience a leaking roof?

In the event of a leaking roof, your personal possessions may fall victim to water damage, causing you unnecessary financial strain. Most importantly, it could cause lasting or even irreparable harm to your home. That is why it is necessary for you to utilize the correct steps in order to ensure the least amount of destruction to your property.

Do your best to curb the leak by responding quickly to the problem.

You may be wondering how you can manage to control a leaky roof. It may seem like an impossible task, but all you need to do in order to minimize the spread is quickly locate a bucket, large pot, or something similar that will sufficiently hold a good amount of water. Place the object or objects beneath the dripping. As an additional method of leakage protection, locate more containers as a backup for leaks that may be more powerful than a small, steady drip.

Gather information and proof of leakage for your insurance claim.

Before problems occur, it is advised to take a detailed look at your roof. If you possess the agility to do so, you may decide to safely venture onto the roof so you can carefully check for any weak spots that may be present. By doing so, you can secure your roof ahead of time and save yourself an abundance of additional concern.

Check to determine whether or not roof leaks appear to have taken place in the past. An indicator of previous leakage would be water spots on the ceiling that resemble dirty, jagged puddles. Evaporated moisture can rapidly weaken the ceiling as well as the walls, so once again you will need to act quickly and contain as much of the leak as possible.

Now that you know a little more about what to do if your roof begins to leak, we will now return to the question of whether or not your homeowners insurance will cover any damage that may occur. There are three basic disasters that are covered by your insurance:

1) Storm damage (including damage to indoor possessions)

2) Fire

3) Vandalism

Once the evidence of a leak is gathered, you will be able to move forward and start your insurance claim. If it is determined that it falls under any of these three categories, you will be assisted in following through with the claim.

If you are in need of further assistance, there are professionals available to help you with any questions and concerns that you may have. As long as you act quickly and record all visible damages in preparation for your upcoming claim, the process will go smoothly.