Bathroom Flood What should be checked?

Hi my Son left the sink tap running upstairs and I came home to find water running through my light fittings in the living room and water coving living and dining room and spreading into hall. Downstairs lounge, dining room and hall have solid oak flooring which is lifting badly all over where wood has swollen so much beading around skirting has snapped in places. Parts of floor are like roads with speed humps!

Can’t remember the exact price of my flooring as it was bought quite a few years ago but was in near perfect condition and I got a great deal when I bought it as the business was closing down but it was quite high end. I’m worried about the ceiling too as it’s not too badly stained but cracks have appeared where water escaped and I don’t know long term effects of water damage.

Will the insurance company properly check underfloor boards upstairs and down to make sure ceiling won’t collapse later because of this? I’ve not had experience dealing with claims and want to make sure that they don’t just try and pay for visible damage and then leave me sorting out stuff when other damage shows.

Appreciate any pointers on what to look out for to get a fair deal please.
Learn from yesterday
Live for today
Hope for tomorrow

Comments

  • jackomdj
    jackomdj Posts: 3,073
    First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    I guess it will depend upon your insurance company. We are with Lloyds and when we had a major flood they were fantastic, sending out assessor a, getting dehumidifiers in, getting the electrics assessed, then arranging for all the works to be done. Any room with water damaged they painted, they replastered where necessary.

    Hopefully you will have as good an experience with your insurance.
  • dunroving
    dunroving Posts: 1,881
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Forumite
    Hi my Son left the sink tap running upstairs and I came home to find water running through my light fittings in the living room and water coving living and dining room and spreading into hall. Downstairs lounge, dining room and hall have solid oak flooring which is lifting badly all over where wood has swollen so much beading around skirting has snapped in places. Parts of floor are like roads with speed humps!

    Can’t remember the exact price of my flooring as it was bought quite a few years ago but was in near perfect condition and I got a great deal when I bought it as the business was closing down but it was quite high end. I’m worried about the ceiling too as it’s not too badly stained but cracks have appeared where water escaped and I don’t know long term effects of water damage.

    Will the insurance company properly check underfloor boards upstairs and down to make sure ceiling won’t collapse later because of this? I’ve not had experience dealing with claims and want to make sure that they don’t just try and pay for visible damage and then leave me sorting out stuff when other damage shows.

    Appreciate any pointers on what to look out for to get a fair deal please.

    It may depend on your insurer and the T&C's of your policy.

    I had a similar experience in June, when my toilet cistern broke and 6,500 gallons of water were lost - luckily, much of it went out the wall to the garden, via the cistern overflow pipe, but much of it flooded out onto the landing and down through the ceiling to the kitchen, from where it then overflowed to the living room.

    From my experience, the loss adjustment company did a very thorough job, for example:

    1) They took moisture readings on walls and floors
    2) They cleared up the mess from the kitchen ceiling falling through
    2) They removed all floor coverings (carpets, and eventually the original thermoplastic Marley tiles, as these contain asbestos).

    I felt like they were very thorough in the schedule of works - for example, decorating the whole living room, even though the water only damaged one section of the wall and one corner of the ceiling.

    It sounds as though you haven't seen the loss adjuster yet? One thing I learned was to be a squeaky wheel - I had to chase them to keep the ball rolling.

    But in terms of your specific question, I would assume they will do a thorough job of reinstating what was damaged/lost.

    If you aren't aware, most insurers will be willing to also come up with a cash offer, which means you take the cash and get the work done to your schedule, and by your choice of tradespeople. But before that, make sure you get a "schedule of works" - a list of what jobs will be done. I went with the cash settlement because it enabled me to get other works done while the reinstatement work was done. It has taken about 5 months to get to this point, though, during which time I have been living in my conservatory.
    (Nearly) dunroving
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards