Shower leakign into kitchen - insurer not interested

SMW87

Hi all,

I hope somebody can help me on this. We have had a small bit of water coming through the corner of where our kitchen wall and ceiling meet for a couple of months. This would occur every few days when the shower has been used 1 after another. Couldn’t really afford to sort it but thought nothing of it as it was a small amount. Then over the past couple of days the water has got worse and somebody told me to speak to my insurer as they should cover the costs.

They basically said because it has happened over a period of time and it wasnt address they cant do anything about it as they only insure for one off incidents.

I didn’t think much of a little drip to be honest its only now since it has become more severe am I worried about damage and we wont be able to fix it anytime soon.

Does anyone know what my options are?

Thanks

Weighty1

Your options are probably very limited. The insurers argument is that you've been negligent in maintaining the shower and this issue has arisen from failure to maintain it, so they are right in not paying for it to be repaired. Their duty is to cover problems arising from isolated events, not from failure to maintain the property.

Aretnap

Unfortunately having to pay maintenance bills for things like this is just one of the joys of being a homeowner. Home insurance is intended to protect you against unexpected one-off events such as a storm, a flood or a fire - it's not there to pay for day to day maintenance. Normal wear and tear, and anything that happens gradually over a period of time (or a similar wording) are standard exclusions.

Not much advice I can give you other than to get it fixed as soon as possible - and it sounds like you shouldn't use the shower until it's fixed. Maybe ask for hints on the DIY forum - if you're lucky it could be something as simple as a crack in the sealant around the bottom of the shower, which could be fixed with half an hour of your time and a ten pound tube of sealant from B&Q.

Blibble

It sounds like your insurer is refusing to pay the claim as the nature of the damage is a gradual one - as Aretnap advises, it's part of the cost of owning a property.

Your best option may be to get an independent report at your own cost to confirm the cause of damage. This will -

a) Advise whether your insurer may cover the damage (e.g., if something clearly accidental has happened and you have accidental damage cover, you may be in a better position)
b) If it confirms wear and tear, or a gradually operating damage, at least you'll know what you need to repair yourself.

SMW87

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated. Sickened about whats going to happen but im going to need some kind of survey to see the damage anyway I guess

societys_child

we wont be able to fix it anytime soon

Investigating the cause yourself doesn't appeal to you then?

rs65

SMW87 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated. Sickened about whats going to happen but im going to need some kind of survey to see the damage anyway I guess

Some insurers don't cover failure of or lack of sealant. Have you tried renewing any sealant and see if the leak persists.

eddddy

SMW87 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated. Sickened about whats going to happen but im going to need some kind of survey to see the damage anyway I guess

If you can't see the cause of the problem yourself (e.g. failed sealant, failed grouting, cracked shower tray) - just contact 2 or 3 or 4 tradesmen to ask for quotes for fixing the leaking shower.

If they all tell you the same cause, it's likely to be correct - and you can choose the tradesman you like best to fix it.

If they each suggest different causes, it becomes more difficult.

As for the plaster and timber, it should dry out OK - if you could lift a floorboard somewhere nearby to ventilate it, that might help, or even hire a dehumidifier. But again, you can ask the tradesmen for their opinion.