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Property/DIY

Ceiling down and insurance - anyone else managed a claim?

7 replies

betterwhenthesunshines · 13/12/2013 15:53

Hi all,
We have an Edwardian house with panel moulded original plaster ceilings. There was a hairline crack along one of the mouldings which widened to about 6mm during the time we were away over half term. As soon as we got back we asked a builder to come and check, and he was very concerned and came and propped it up the next day. (We had a second opinion too). Basically the whole bay section was loose - we moved all the furniture, books etc out. Called the insurance company who said they need to know a cause, but we don't know the cause until we remove the loose section.

So the builder agrees to take down the loose part - he just touches the loose section (crack has widened to about 1.5cm) and that whole section crashes down (rrom had been protected with plastic boards etc) but it is clear the rest of the ceiling is also loose and unsafe so about 3/4 of the ceiling has been removed.

Although there was no water marks on the ceiling pasterwork, there is evidence of water staining on the joists, which is possibly from lead flashings on the bay roof. They could also be historic marks from when the flat roof was last replaced before we owned the house. (This roof was checked in the summer as we were considering having it replaced with fibreglass but both companies said it was fine for another 5 years.)

Are we going to be able to claim for any of this cost under our insurance. My husband has been through the detailed policy, but it is still unclear. We have a surveyor coming to assess it, but it's already cost £1k+ just for protection / labour/ waste removal not to mention the new ceiling, coving plasterwork, redecoration, floor damage etc to come. I'm trying not to get upset but this is going to be a huge amount of money we just don't have at the moment. Do they really expect us to live with a boarded up room we can't use?

Is this really wear and tear?? Has anyone else had similar situation?

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greenfolder · 13/12/2013 16:40

you need to show that there has been an escape of water- ie leaking pipe, or storm damage ie a specific act of bad weather or some other insured peril that has caused the damage. Most policies also have an exclusion about "gradually operating causes" which avoids damage which has happened over a period of time- usually because of poor maintenance (eg rot caused by dripping gutters)

It does sound like wear and tear to me- based on what you said.

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CallMeNancy · 13/12/2013 16:46

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Nepotism · 13/12/2013 18:44

We had this about six years ago. Decorator had just finished and I thought he'd missed a patch. The next morning the patch was bigger. The ceiling had been papered years before and the moisture in the emulsion had softened it. The paper was the only thing holding the ceiling up! He scored round it with a Stanley knife and the whole thing came crashing down. There was no sign of any recent leak but Direct Line paid out, including the cost of redecorating, without sending an assessor.

Good luck.

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Elansofar · 14/12/2013 21:30

Hi hard to give any advice without seeing the place. All I can recommend with insurance claims is to open a file, take photos (dated) and every time you deal with anyone to do with this claim, write out what was discussed, who, name and company, date and time. Then if you are not happy with the result or progress, you have the facts ready for the ombudsman if you have to take it this far. Aside from this please be aware that old plaster can contain substances hazardous to health so take appropriate precautions ref the dust. Your builder should have warned you about this to be fair.

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betterwhenthesunshines · 15/12/2013 10:59

Thanks all. The builder has been very good with taping all joints, doors, hard plastic covers, coming back to hoover once all the dust settled.

Very interesting about DirectLine. We are with Halifax. The problem with the gradual cause is that if this is caused by historic water ingress prior to when we bought the house which destabilised the integrity of the joists, there is no way we could have known about this prior to the sudden change in the cracking. I suspect it's a combination of factors and will end up being a bit of a battle.

I don't mind paying for some of it eg the repair to the original damaged part, but if that caused knock-on accidental damage which has meant the rest of the ceiling is unsecure then hopefully that may be covered. Surveyor coming on Tuesday...

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betterwhenthesunshines · 17/12/2013 13:56

Just an update. The surveyor has just been and says the main contribution is long term water ingress due to the flat roof not being constructed/repaired properly by the previous owners. His advice is that although we may get a contribution from the insurance company is is likely only to be a small amount, it will be a big battle and will write off our no claims bonus and put the premiums up with this company and any future insurance quotes we get. He says if it were his house he would just pay it all himself and not have the hassle.... :-(

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CallMeNancy · 17/12/2013 14:31

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