Leaking shower

pruney

Hi
we bought our first house in November last year and not long after, it became apparent that the shower had leaked quite badly through to the kitchen ceiling below. we haven't used the shower since we moved in as I'm too scared to (the bathroom floor is very bouncy and I think the leak has affected the floorboards below quite badly).
I have home contents (with no accidental damage) from AA which I had in my previous rented property and I brought the policy with me and then I have buildings insurance through budget with accidental damage.
Do you think I can claim to get the floorboards (and possibly joists if they are affected) replaced under one of my insurances or will they say because the damage was prior to me moving in (don't know if they can tell about that) that I bought the house in this state so they won't pay up. I had my one and only household claim a month prior to moving in when I was burgled in my old house.
Any advice appreciated,
thanks
Ayesha

mara

Water damage caused by a leaking shower would usually be considered under escape of water. However, as you have been aware of the problem for some time it is likely that a claim will be declined as an ongoing cause. Sorry, I apprechiate this is not much help in the circumstances. If anything similar happens in future, you are usually much better off to contact your insurers straight away (also get the source of any leaks fixed ASAP or you may end up with a major damp/rot problem, which will not be covered under home insurance)

FlameCloud

Which underwriter did you take out insurance with the AA for?

If its St Andrews (hbos) you'd normally be covered as its a straight EOW from a fixed water installation, but you not informing your insurance company will hurt the claim.

Why didnt you tell them about it at the time?

courtjester

To be honest, I doubt that you have a problem - unless the water penetration has been continuous over a long period of time, then floorboards will not deteriorate unless they are attacked by dry rot (a separate matter which requires the combination of several things so is not likely in your case).

I suggest that you lift the floorboards to see what's what. You may find some heavy staining and dirt below, but frankly its unlikely you will need to repair or replace the floor. Clearly you need to deal with the leakage and get this stopped so that you can use the shower, but that is not a matter you could claim on your insurance for.