We have an issue in our kitchen where there has been a leak of water in our subfloor, which has rotted the floorboard joists. The floor is now bowing noticeably on one side of the kitchen, you can feel the floor move if you’re standing in that part. The rotten joists have dragged the kitchen units down and away from the wall on the affected side, so there is a noticeable gap where the work surfaces no longer meet the tile splash backs. The worksurface is warped from being dragged down. The dishwasher is now tilted so you can’t pull the lower basket out to load without it rolling back inside. It’s a mess basically. When it rains the smell of wetness and damp in the kitchen is awful.
Our insurer asked us to get a trace and access report, which identified that the leak had been caused by a French drain installed around the perimeter of our property which is too close to the house and a weakness in the brick work on one of the outside kitchen walls which is bringing water into the subfloor when it rains.
Having submitted the report to the insurer two months ago, I am having a nightmare getting them to deal with it. We had no acknowledgement or anything in writing, before
eventually being contacted by a third party loss adjuster. I subsequently discovered that our insurer had given the claim to deal with under delegated authority. It took multiple phone calls to our insurer to ascertain that, and they've been next to abysmal so far as well.
A loss adjuster came out who had not been sent the trace and access report. Initially she tried to make out that the damage had been caused by a leaking tap (a problem which we do not have.) I offered to send her the report but she declined. She told us after her visit we would be sent a report within 48 hours. That was nearly six weeks ago. We are covered for alternative accommodation under our policy but she told us they would instead make us a temporary kitchen, even though there is no where in our house we could accommodate one due to our downstairs layout and we have a young baby.
We were then contacted by a building firm who are contracted to the insurer. They came out and did a survey, and had not seen the trace and access report either. Their view on the cause of the leak was that we’d have to pay them privately to fix the leak but a month on from their visit they have not provided any quote for that. I’ve gone back to our insurer who has said they won’t cover the drain but have not given any advice as to whether the issue with brickwork would be covered under our policy despite several requests for an answer.
All we’ve been told vaguely verbally through the builder is that the insurers will not replace our kitchen carcasses which are no doubt water damaged and mouldy (the loss adjuster told us they would replace the carcasses but we’d have to retain the original doors) or the worktop, but will cover the cost of replacing the floorboard joists and the kitchen floor covering. Despite multiple phone calls and emails, no one will share a schedule of works with me. Our insurer won’t deal with it as they’ve delegated the claim to the third party loss adjuster, and they don’t reply to phone calls or emails it seems either.
Any advice would be gratefully received at what my expection should be and timescales . I’m at the end of my tether and worried sick as I have a small baby who is crawling everywhere now, and a very mouldy damp kitchen with wobbly floors. Ironically they told us our claim has been marked as urgent as we had a young baby.
This is our first property and the first time we’ve ever claimed through our house insurance so any advice would be gratefully received as to where I can go next. If you’ve made it through that waffle thank you!