Carpet - water damage

dori2o

Last week my Mum and dad woke to find a large puddle of water under the telly stand in the front room. Water had gotten in through the TV aeriel, flooded the Sky+ box and then leaked onto the carpet. the patch was a circle about 1.5m in diameter.

My mum phoned the insurance company and they have send out a carpet guy who said he wants to clean it but cannot guarantee the stain that has been left will go, but said he should be able to get it to an acceptable standard so it is 'not that noticeable.'

My Mum is not happy with that and says that if the stain will noit go completely she should have a new carpet as that is what she pays the premiums for and the cover she has is 'New for Old'.

If the carpet cleaning is not to my Mums satisfaction can she demand a new carpet? (It's only been in 4 years, it's a wool carpet in beige, cost over £1000 and the room is used maybe once a week, no shoes, food, drinks, pets at all are allowed in the room)

dogbot

Assume this is being dealt with as accidental damage?

You mum pays her premiums to be indemnified up to a new for old replacement including repair if possible. If cleaning will restore the carpet then the insurer can choose that as the way to provide the cover under the policy. If that doesn't do the job then they will have to try something else - and replacement might well be the option. If you mum isn't satisfied after the clean (best to give it a few days) then she can will just have to tell the insurer's and ask them to try other methods to provide her with indemnity

The cleaners can work wonders however so try to pursuade her to keep an open mind!

Your parents will need to take action to plug the hole in the wall that caused the leak - best to get that done asap.

dori2o

dogbot wrote: »

Assume this is being dealt with as accidental damage?

You mum pays her premiums to be indemnified up to a new for old replacement including repair if possible. If cleaning will restore the carpet then the insurer can choose that as the way to provide the cover under the policy. If that doesn't do the job then they will have to try something else - and replacement might well be the option. If you mum isn't satisfied after the clean (best to give it a few days) then she can will just have to tell the insurer's and ask them to try other methods to provide her with indemnity

The cleaners can work wonders however so try to pursuade her to keep an open mind!

Your parents will need to take action to plug the hole in the wall that caused the leak - best to get that done asap.

Thanks for the reply.

The offending aeriel has been pulled out of the wall from the outside and the hole filled with mortar.

It looks as though a bird has pecked at it and split the outer and inner sheath. The aeriel has slipped into the gutter and thats how the water got in. The aeriel acted just like a straw/syphon.