Although no one wishes to be in a situation where they need to make an
insurance claim, the small price to pay for a home insurance policy is nothing in comparison to the expenses you’d be faced with should you not be covered and experience property damage. No one thinks it will happen to them, but events that result in severe property damage occur a lot more often than you might think. In the unfortunate situation that this does happen to you, making an insurance claim can be a long and burdensome process. This is why it is a good idea to enlist the help of a chartered surveyor in making a building insurance claim.
Listed below are 3 serious causes of property damage that people face.
Subsidence
What is Subsidence?
Subsidence is the term used to describe the process of the ground sinking, typically when it occurs underneath a building. This movement usually results in a building’s foundations shifting or sinking, which can cause unbalance to the rest of the building’s structure and result in cracks and/or movement in the walls and floors.
There are multiple factors that may cause subsidence to happen. These can be:
Man-made
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Leaking drains: If there is a leak in nearby drains or water mains, then the excess water has the potential to soften or even wash away the soil, particularly sandy or gravelly soil types.
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Mining activity: If a building is located above a former mine or quarry, then the fill-in material that replaces these sometimes has the potential to collapse if it is not of adequate stability.
Natural
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Soil conditions: Certain weather conditions may cause certain soil types (such as clay soils) to shrink, crack or shift in periods of dryness and heat if their water-content is low.
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Tree and shrub roots: Clay soils may also lose water if certain trees or shrubs are nearby, as their roots will seek out and absorb more water from the soil, causing it to dry out and shift.
The Damage
Property damage as a result of subsidence can range from mild to severe depending on the degree of subsidence and how early it is detected. If you notice cracks starting to form in your walls, don’t assume that it is subsidence straight away, since cracks are commonly the result of damp, humidity changes, settlement, or general ageing.
Instead, look out for these characteristics in any cracks:
● Located near doors and/or windows
● Visible from both inside and outside
● Wider at the top, slimmer at the bottom and diagonally positioned
● More than 3mm wide (a 10p coin)
Other indicators include windows or doors sticking (due to warping in the frames), cracks and creases in wallpaper where the wall joins the ceiling, sloping floors and cracks where an extension meets a house.
It is important to seek someone out straight away to inspect your house for subsidence should you notice any of these signs. If left untreated, subsidence can lead to serious structural damage and, in some cases, even collapse. A property’s value can decrease by up to 20% if there is a subsidence issue, which is even more of an incentive to get it looked into by a building surveyor.
Fire
Fire Outbreaks
Unlike hotter climates where naturally occurring fires are a larger threat (such as Australia), housefires in the UK are often more accidental. Most home insurance policies will cover accidental fire damage, though this can make things slightly ambiguous when determining whether the cause counts as accidental or not.
Here are some common causes that typically do tend to be considered as accidental fires:
Natural
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Sun rays: Sun rays shining through windows are highly capable of starting fires, especially if they are magnified or hitting something flammable. For example, sun rays reflecting off a mirror or magnifying through a glass can direct the heat onto flammable bedding and start a fire, or if they are focused on an aerosol can then the heat may cause it to explode.
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Lightning: With the increase of global warming, thunderstorms are much more prevalent in the UK. During an electrical thunderstorm, lighting may strike your house and cause a fire - especially if your house construction is made with natural materials such as wood or a thatched roof, which alight easily.
Human Error
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Cooking: The kitchen tends to be the main room in which you’d expect to see a fire, mainly the result of two things: oil and heat. Oil and fat splatters can quickly start a fire, especially if they come into contact with something flammable, such as kitchen roll or a towel. Likewise, pans (poor quality or old ones especially) can overheat and burn the contents if cooking is left unattended, also having the ability to start a fire.
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Electrical equipment: There are many instances where electrical equipment may start a fire. This could be leaving an appliance on by mistake (e.g. hair straighteners), overloading an extension socket, frayed wires, inadequate wiring and many more.
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Candles: Whether you enjoy making your house smell nice or you simply need a lightsource in a blackout, many people burn candles in their home. However, candles should not be left unattended or placed on an uneven surface, near flammable materials or in the reach of children/pets, since they can easily flicker and burn out of control or fall and set something alight.
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Christmas decorations: Christmas trees and decorations are key culprits of house fires during the festive season. Natural Christmas trees can easily catch fire if they are placed too close to a heat source or are insufficiently watered. As for decorations, traditional Christmas lights run the risk of overheating if even one bulb is blown, which is why LED lights are now favoured and recommended.
The Damage
The damage caused by a house fire often comes in three stages: flame damage, smoke damage and third party damage.
Damage caused by flames is the most obvious, this will burn your interior and belongings, often leaving them beyond repair and even having the ability to cause structural damage depending on the type of fire.
Smoke damage tends to have longer term effects, discolouring your walls and ceilings and even leaving a smell that will cling to the interior of your house and furniture that is extremely hard to get rid of.
Third party damage is any damage caused by the intervention of the fire. For example, water used by firefighters to extinguish the fire can absorb into your walls and lead to damp or mould, similarly certain chemicals may have been used to extinguish the fire that would need to be removed by a professional.
Flooding
Causes
Flooding is a high-risk issue for many homes across the UK. Being an island that experiences frequent rainfall, it’s no surprise that there is ample
flood guidance available due to the vast amount of people who are likely to experience flooding, whether they live inland or in coastal areas.
Here are three common causes of flooding that could affect people residing in different areas:
Flash flooding: Flash flooding occurs following sudden heavy rainfall. This can be particularly severe in urban areas, where concrete ground is less sufficient in absorbing copious amounts of rainwater, leading to surface water flooding. Those who live in valleys or low lying areas may also experience flash flooding more intensely, since the water will run down from high ground to these areas and has nowhere to escape to.
Coastal flooding: As the name suggests, coastal flooding typically affects those living close to the sea. High tides and stormy weather (both increased by climate change) results in the sea overcoming sea defences and reaching further than the coastline, affecting any properties situated there.
River flooding: The UK is home to almost 1,500 rivers, which makes it no shock that river flooding is one of the most commonly occurring. This happens when rivers become too full and spill over the riverbank. The increase of urbanisation, resulting in more impermeable surfaces and less vegetation to intercept the water’s flow, increases the likelihood and severity of river flooding.
The Damage
As well as soaking and ruining many of your belongings, flooding can lead to extensive water damage in your property that results in stains, mould, mildew and damage to your electrics. In instances where the flow of flood water is particularly strong, it may even cause structural damage to your building.
Flood damage will often leave your home inhabitable whilst you are waiting for it to dry out and any damage to be fixed. Certain bacteria may be present in flood water that also poses a health threat that would need to be resolved before you move back in.
Making a Property Damage Claim in Watford
Simon Levy Associates understands the difficulty you may experience when trying to make a property damage insurance claim, especially when this is a difficult experience to process in and of itself.
Offering our services to Borehamwood, Barnet and Watford, our professional team will liaise with your insurance provider to ensure your claim is dealt with both adequately and quickly to get you the compensation you are entitled to. We are also able to assist in damage assessment, advising you on the scope and quality of the repair work your property requires and ensuring that such work is overseen.
If you have experienced property damage and require help in making and navigating an insurance claim, then
contact us today and we will put you in touch with one of our chartered surveyors.
