Flat roof insurance cover

moneypudden

Hi,

Can anyone advise on this question? I'm sure I read somewhere, or heard on radio recently that if your flat roof is over 10 years old your insurer can refuse to pay out for damage arising from water ingress.

Ours is a traditional bitumen flat roof approx 18 years old but has been maintained annually by DIY checking for splits/blisters and raking back shingle, hosing down to clean and remove any moss formation, followed by an overall coat of bitumen roofing paint.

I'm now worried that a re-roofing job will be needed despite it having been regularly maintained ourselves. What do all you knowledgeable people think - am I shooting myself in the foot if I ask our insurance company the question anyway?

Thanks

ormus

youve got no chance.
they will pay out after say a bad storm which rips the roof off. but they wont pay out for wear and tear.
that goes for any roof, no matter what the construction method.

Antispam

As said they wont pay for wear and tear but that goes for pitch roofs too or anything else on a house that is normal wear and tear

Its just normally flat roofs dont last that long and can vary between 5-20 years depending on wear they are, weather conditions usually dictate this

We replaced our 2 flat felt roofs with epdm which last 20+ years

27col

As your roof is getting such regular inspections and maintenance, it is unlikely that it will catch you out by an unexpected failure. In any event the insurance is not going to cover general failure due to end of life problems, so there would be no point in trying to claim. I find that felted roofs, whether flat or sloping will last a surprisingly long time. It would never have occurred to me even think about making a claim for a felted roof. I would think that the subsequent hike in premiums would have put me off, even if there might have been a chance of getting a claim through the insurance. In my case I did the felting myself when I built the house and the sheds. So any maintenance required is done by myself.

phill99

It would appear that the question is not about getting the roof repaired by the Insurance Company, but the residual damage resulting from water getting into the property as a result of roof damage. I work for a number of insurance companies and have never come across them refusing to pay out for residual damage to ceilings etc because of a split in the roof. However, if water has got into the property they will need to be satisfied that the cause of the leak is cured which may well be replacing the roof. You are under a legal obligation to reduce their risk and to mitigate the loss ie do what is reasonably possible to reduce losses occuring from damage to roofs etc. It would appear to me that you are doing a fine job by inspecting your roof each year.

moneypudden

Thanks for your replies. It's not the roof itself I'm concerned about, moreso the question of whether any claim for damage (arising from water ingress) would be rejected by virtue of age of the roof being over 10 years. I accept property maintenance is down to me, hence a bit of annual DIY as I can't afford to pay a builder every year. Unlike say gas boiler cover, it's not like i've got a wad of receipts to prove maintenance has taken place and no doubt that's a question insurers might ask?

I guess the only real answer is to carry on doing my bit till i can't manage it any more, and then consider a new roof using a ruberoid membrane covering!

dacouch

Keep a written record of when you checked / maintained the roof and any wor carried out, without this they will often not believe you have been maintaining and checking the roof