Water damage in kitchen

Blackavar

Just prior to Christmas I noticed laminate floor in kitchen was spongy and to cut a long story short, discovered dishwasher had been emptying onto & under floor eventually puncturing the floor membrane.
Our buildings insurance is with Santander (with Aviva mail addresses) who sub to Asprea. The floor is damaged and so far Asprea want to put a door bar between hall and kitchen. Currently the Pergo laminate (which has been fantastic) flows from front door, through hall into kitchen. We don't want a door bar between 2 different laminates. We feel all the flooring should be replaced. We want to get as close as we possibly can to what we have now.
I am awaiting a decision on this by Santander & I'm keeping a record of events on a blog. Its a wordpress site called insuranceclaimprogress.This seems unreasonable & unfair.
There seems to have been mixed success with similar claims on this board. Any suggestions gratefully received.

phill99

You would be wise to appoint your own Loss. Adjustor. Most policies allow for the insurer to pick up the bill for your loss adjuster. I do a lot of work for insurance companies and Asprea are notorious at pushing claims as low as possible.

FlameCloud

Which policies would pay for that?

*Scarlett

Many insurance policies state that they will only cover the damaged item. If this is the case in your insurance they only have to replace the kitchen floor even if it goes into a 2nd room.

If you have "matched items" then you may have a case.

Check your policy docs to see which is your situation.

Can the insurer not source the same laminate flooring?

You could possibly negotiate a financial settlement with the insurer and replace the whole floor if the door bar is important to you.

FlameCloud

*Scarlett wrote: »

Many insurance policies state that they will only cover the damaged item. If this is the case in your insurance they only have to replace the kitchen floor even if it goes into a 2nd room.

If you have "matched items" then you may have a case.

Check your policy docs to see which is your situation.

Can the insurer not source the same laminate flooring?

You could possibly negotiate a financial settlement with the insurer and replace the whole floor if the door bar is important to you.

I dont believe this is a matching items issue. For me, the flooring would a single item- the fact that it goes into different rooms should be irrelevant.

If the insist on you modifying your property with a door bar you can raise a formal complaint with them and if necessary refer it to the FOS.

rs65

*Scarlett wrote: »

Can the insurer not source the same laminate flooring?

That's what I was thinking. Can they replace the damaged planks?

Blackavar

No, the laminate type/colour is no longer available. So if I have a doorbar, there will be a different colour each side. After much pushing, they have offered to pay 50% of cost of undamaged hallway flooring. I still think they are responsible for all of it. If you could check my blog there are pics to illustrate what I mean, Address is in my profile?

TSx

I would certainly treat this as a single item - you'll need to raise a complaint, pointing out that there is no break currently and to put a door bar in will not put you in the same position. I'd warn you this could take months to be resolved if it goes as far as the FOS.

The fact there's a solid door doesn't really make a difference, as it runs through, I'd look at it all as a single area.

edit to add; I suspect this is an area where different insurers have different philosophies so I can't be sure the FOS would uphold a complaint.

The reason they have offered 50% is because the FOS generally say that this is what an insurer should pay for undamaged items forming part of a set.

Katiekinka

My husband works in the insurance industry. Apparently insurance companies liability is to the effected room only and as such even if the floor covering flows through into adjoining rooms, when there is a solid door this is classed as the stopping point for the claim. A thresh hold strip would be inserted. If the door was glazed because you can see from the affected room into adjoining rooms with the same floor, this is the circumstance when the whole flooring to the other rooms would be replaced. This is the FOS ruling. Hope this makes sense. We also had this happen to us a few years ago on a carpet claim.

vaio

Katiekinka wrote: »

My husband works in the insurance industry. Apparently insurance companies liability is to the effected room only and as such even if the floor covering flows through into adjoining rooms, when there is a solid door this is classed as the stopping point for the claim. A thresh hold strip would be inserted. If the door was glazed because you can see from the affected room into adjoining rooms with the same floor, this is the circumstance when the whole flooring to the other rooms would be replaced. This is the FOS ruling. Hope this makes sense. We also had this happen to us a few years ago on a carpet claim.

Got a link?

hugoshavez

FlameCloud wrote: »

I dont believe this is a matching items issue. For me, the flooring would a single item- the fact that it goes into different rooms should be irrelevant.

If the insist on you modifying your property with a door bar you can raise a formal complaint with them and if necessary refer it to the FOS.

Agreed. Though Aviva may feel somewhat justified as there is a solid door between the rooms.

Haven't read the whole blog, apologies. Early on there is a mention of some damaged carcases. Are they replacing any of these?

And what is the cost of reflooring the kitchen, vs reflooring the whole thing?

Complaining doesn't necessarliy mean you have to go all the way to FOS. It'll be reconsidered by Aviva complaint dept first.